Battle Dawn
by Silver1
Summary: The aftermath of the Royal Cup carries the threat of war as the ZBC, the Backdraft, and even the Blitz team undergo startling changes.
1. Default Chapter

Zoids: Battle Dawn

Chapter 1: Loser

by Silver

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to ZoidS mecha, characters, or storyline.

Author's Note: Hello. This is my first Zoids fic ever. After spending two years on Digimon fics, it feels good to try my hand at another series.

This story will hopefully be the start of an arch, depending on how focused I am. This is a Zoids New Century fic, but ignores the events of Zoids Fuzors. It's my hope that this story will be slightly more serious than the actual television show, but not too severe. I hope you enjoy, and reviews are always appreciated.

The stars had always dictated Zi's history. It'd been the stars that had sent the life ship full of humans, forever altering the planet's future. Death had rained from the stars when a meteor shattered the third moon and forced debris upon the surface. And it was one celestial body, moving slowly across the night sky, that sent the judge.

It came down like a shooting star; a red streak against the black night. It smashed into the ground with a resounding _boom_ that reached to the farthest corner of the desert wasteland. A cloud of sand and dirt flew into the sky and slowly began to settle. The resulting crater was small, considering the size of the object that had crashed. The capsules were designed to limit the crater size. Rising from the ground on four pointed legs, the cylindrical chamber spun to face the gathered opponents. The seal clamps released and half of the cylinder rose into the air, exposing the white skeletal form of the judge. Standing atop its disk, it moved its head with the regality of a king overlooking his country. The judge's head resembled the capsule that carried it to Zi, with a thin speaker lining the lower third of its face.

Leo sat in Fang's cockpit, adjusting his belt harness while the judge surveyed the battlefield with its black visor. He mouthed along wordlessly with the judge during the all-too-familiar preparations.

"This zone is now restricted. Only competitors and personnel have authorized entry. Danger: all others must leave the battlefield at once."

Leo switched on the night vision, which sputtered and flickered on his display screens. He swatted it lightly with his gloved hand. "Come on, Fang, focus!" The screen fixed with a view of his four opponents. "That's better."

"Leo," The comm. crackled. "I want you to focus on the Hel Digunner. Watch out for the blades on its tail." Leo acknowledged his leader's command. His target waited on the other side of the battlefield. It rested on the four squat legs protruding out of its side and stared at him through the visor that covered its bullet shaped head. It hissed eagerly, awaiting the start of combat. A Hel Digunner was an okay target, though it would have been nice to take on the enemy's Zaber Tiger instead.

The judge continued its announcement. "The Bright Fire Team versus the Wild Pack. Battle mode: 0985. Ready…" It held up its red and blue paddled hands in a sweeping gesture, then quickly snapped them to its chest. "FIGHT!"

Leo pressed down on the foot pedal and Fang charged forward. The enemy's Hel Digunner was moving towards one of Leo's teammates. Leo caught its attention by firing two bursts from Fang's back mounted blaster. The dual laser shots went wide of the target, but attracted it towards Leo.

I'll win this time, thought Leo. He fired again, and he would have hit the iguana Zoid if it hadn't buried itself underground. He only caught the glint of moonlight off the creature's four blades as its absurdly long tale vanished underground. Leo watched as a mound of sand rose up and began to move across the landscape, leaving a small trench in its wake. All of Leo's shots failed to connect with the target. For an amphibious Zoid, Hel Digunners moved with surprising maneuverability underground.

"Leo! I need support. Get over here!"

"I'm tied up right now, Jace." Leo fired again and again, but the Hel Digunner evaded all his attacks.

"You're still tied up with that Hel Digunner?"

"It's buried underground. I can't hit it!"

"Don't aim for the mound, fire in front of its path!"  
"I know!" Leo fired and fired and fired but the damn thing refused to take a hit. The moving mound turned at a sharp angle and streaked towards him. Leo pressed the fire button again, and nothing happened. Fang's power readings were down to critical. He couldn't fire any more blasts. Damn it!

Okay, no problem. He'd just have to move in for close range combat and use the Zoid's fangs. Leo charged forward, intending to dive into the mound and pull the Hel Digunner up by force. But just as he came within striking distance, the Zoid's bullet-shaped head erupted form the sand and leaped upward. Its eyes glowed pink underneath its blood red mask, and the four laser cannons under its chin fired a barrage of super-hot energy as it descended. Fang took several hits, and his night vision began to flicker again.

"Hold together, Fang!" Leo backed his Zoid away before renewing his charge. The screen returned to normal lighting, forcing Leo to look for his opponent without the aid of enhanced vision. The Hel Digunner turned and lashed out with its tail, easily crossing the distance between the two and slicing into Fang's right front leg with its curved blade. The scythe only grazed the area above Fang's paw, but it managed to hit several connections, reducing Fang to a limp. Leo swore and backed away even more. "Jace, I need help." Jace had been knocked out of the battle, as had the rest of the team. Oh well. At least he hadn't been the first one to go down this time.

The Hel Digunner spun around and targeted Fang and Leo with its large back mounted cannon. It only took one blast to pierce Fang's exhausted armor and damage the command lines. Fang's command system froze up and he fell to the ground. Leo gritted his teeth as he bounced around in the cockpit. One of his belts tore loose and he had to hold on to his seat to keep from slamming into the transparent cockpit.

The judge lifted its red paddle-hand. "The winner is the Wild Pack!"

Leo's team carried their damaged ZoidS back to their hanger, where Leo spent the rest of the night working repairs. By the time the first rays of sunlight filtered into the hanger, the ZoidS were once again combat-able, with only minor work on their armor and weapons left. Leo swiped the sweat from his face, leaving a greasy streak. He smiled as he looked up at Fang, his white armor reflecting the sun's rays. "Feeling better, partner? I took out that stupid night vision equipment. Fat lotta good it did us."

"The night vision generators work fine. It's your Zoid that was the problem." Jace approached with a stern expression on his face. "I paid top dollar for all four generators and they worked perfectly on the other ZoidS. I think we both know who the weak link is."

Leo scowled, "I warned you that the generator wouldn't work with Fang but you didn't listen!"

"It didn't work with your Command Wolf-"

"_Fang._" Leo corrected.

Jace didn't even try to hide the roll of his eyes. "Fine. The generator didn't work with _Fang_ because _Fang's_ systems are so outdated. I honestly don't know why you hang on to that old clunker. If it were a horse I'd shoot it."

Leo said, "What kind of a guy would I be if I ditched my partner? Getting rid of him would be like throwing aside family."

"What would you know about having a family?" Jace sighed. "Leo, we can't keep losing like this. One more defeat and we'll go straight down to Class F. I've decided it'd be better if we hired on a new warrior. I want you to become our mechanic, full time."

"No chance!" Leo spat. "I'm not going to be your grease monkey full time."

"Why not? You love fixing up ZoidS."

"Yeah, but I don't like being shoved into the background while you guys pilot ZoidS and claim all the credit. I'm not giving up my spot on the team."

Jace's anger began to show. "You're not doing us any good as a warrior. Just look at your performance last night!"

"Don't even try to blame that loss on me! You guys got knocked out before I did."

Jace snarled, "I sent you after the weakest Zoid on the enemy team and you couldn't even touch it. Furthermore, you didn't break away to help me with the Zaber Tiger. Had we double-teamed the Tiger and taken care of it, we could have overpowered the rest of the team."

Leo didn't have a counter for that. "Why didn't you just ask someone else to help you?"

"Everyone else was engaged with much stronger ZoidS. You were the best option. At least, I thought you were." Jace folded his arms. "Leo, I'm offering you a choice. We're hiring a new warrior with or without you. Either become our mechanic full time or get out."

Leo spun on his heel and headed for his room. "I'll be seeing you, then. If we ever bump into each other on the battlefield, you'll be my first target." That had become his phrase for saying goodbye to a team.

Leo spent the next several days wandering Noon Shine City, trying to find a place in Zoid teams. He knew where to look since most towns were arranged exactly the same. Any team would do, since they were so damn similar. Too similar, in fact, because they all gave him the same answer. Word of the battle with the Wild Pack didn't help his search at all, nor did the fact that the season was almost over. Losing his place on a team again left a bitter taste in his mouth. No matter how hard he tried, everyone always wanted to shove him into the mechanic's spot. He had no intention of spending the rest of his life in Zoid fluids and spare parts.

A month of searching did nothing to improve Leo's spirit. And by the season's end he still didn't have any prospects. Alone again, and frustrated, Leo decided to spend a little of his dwindling funds on a drink.

Denied any company, Leo instead focused on the televiewer, which was broadcasting the local news. It was the same story as usual. Bandits were wreaking havoc on the outlying settlements, and the Zoid Battle Commission couldn't find them. People protested the use of satellite lasers on the bandits due to the dangers of misfire and damage to the environment. Those same people had no problem with judge capsules smashing down from orbit, forming new craters, and kicking up dust clouds.

The Gulyos Empire and the Helic Republic were both offering to deal with the Zoid raiders, but only if they could establish bases on the continent. The Arcadia Kingdom denounced such proposals and instead offered to take care of the bandits for free. Then, of course, they'd raise the offer to have the territories join their virgining kingdom. Too bad they didn't have the power to do defeat the gangs.

"Hey," Leo asked the bartender, "what do you think about this whole land struggle?"

The bartender shrugged. "I'm not a big fan of being a Guylos or Helic citizen. Just doesn't seem right to be ruled by someone who doesn't live on the same continent as us. But Arcadia just doesn't have the power to hold together. I don't think they're gonna last long. How about you?"

Leo answered, "Governments never had much appeal for me. It's not like it'd change anything. I'd still be a Zoid warrior, with or without a government telling me the rules."

"You're a warrior? How'd the season go?"

"Don't ask."

The bartender smiled. "That bad, eh? Want some advice?"

"No."

"Then how's about a quote? 'Courage, Liberty, and a Sense of Justice. Only someone possessing these qualities can become a true Zoid warrior.'"

Leo glanced up. "Who said that?"

"Arthur Hancock, when he congratulated Bit Cloud on winning the Royal Cup." Another damn fan.

"Appreciate the quote but that's not going to get me on a team." The bartender wasn't listening anymore. His attention, like those of everyone else, was fixed on the white Liger Zoid displayed on the televiewer screen.

Noon Shine City was still abuzz from the Royal Cup. As if to add salt to his wounded pride, the news spent the rest of its time slot covering the tournament results, which everyone knew by heart.

Despite Leo's irritation, he couldn't help but envy Bit Cloud's piloting skill. He watched with an intensive awe as Bit's Liger Zero dodged and struck at the Backdraft Group's Berserk Fury. The lion-like Zoid moved with amazing speed, its golden claws shinning with power as they ripped off its opponent's armor. The T-Rex Berserk Fury was equally impressive, using its back-mounted rotary blades to slash at the Liger. Both Bit Cloud and Vega Obscura were incredibly skilled pilots and almost evenly matched. It was only through one desperate charge that Bit managed to win the match and claim the title of Royal Cup Champion for the Blitz Team, now Class S warriors.

Class S… Leo would be lucky if he ever saw Class B. It was clear from this season that he still had a long way to go as a Zoid warrior, and no one would wait for him to improve. How could he train when Fang needed new parts about once a week? That Zoid was held together with duck tape and spit.

Leo sighed and returned his attention to the news. Because of the Royal Cup, the Backdraft Organization, usurper of the Zoid Battle Commission, was broken and on the run. ZBC troops were overtaking Backdraft bases, but the ZBC chairman, Arthur Hancock, was being criticized for allowing the Backdraft the chance to strike at the ZBC in the middle of the tournament. It looked like the Commission would be electing a new chairman soon. Welcome to my life, Chairman Hancock. Leo took another sip.

Leo needed more training if he was going to survive the next season. Maybe he should join the Guylos or Helic military and get some experience there?

No. They'd never let him keep Fang. And he despised becoming a mindless drone for the military. He'd never go back to being 12515. Besides, it'd cost a fortune to sail over to Nyx or Delpoi, and there were no recruiting stations in southern Europa. That left more searching, and a reliance on luck. That wasn't too frightening. It had mainly been luck that'd kept alive this long. No reason to change one's style when there was no hope of improvement.

Leo paid the bartender and left, not sure where to go. Fang needed several new leg parts if he ever wanted to run at full speed again, but Leo didn't have the money. He'd only been able to affect repairs using parts he'd salvaged from local scrap yards; which was a far cry from Fang performing at one hundred percent.

In no hurry to go anywhere, Leo wandered the city, hoping that he'd just bump into someone who needed a pilot or a mercenary. Hell, he'd even settle for someone who needed a part-time mechanic.

Touring the city did nothing to cheer him. The all too familiar organization of stores, shops, and services reminded him of all the other cities where he'd been kicked off a team. There were no special monuments or centers to visit. Most people just visited a Zoid arcade for fun, and Leo didn't feel like being beaten by some kid in a mock-battle.

This was the mark of a town that feared becoming popular. The land struggles between the Guylos Empire and Helic Republic only caused tension throughout the area. Everyone feared becoming the first battleground in over a century. People were afraid to be the cause of a war, and so they hid. They hid their creativity, their passion, their culture. Leo had heard that there'd been a time when people on Earth would have fought with every ounce of strength to defend their identity. On Zi, they sacrificed such a treasure.

Humanity's survival of the Meteor Holocaust had cost them their history. Everyone spoke the Zoidian language, even though the ancient Zoidians themselves were extinct. Towns and cities were all based on one surviving blueprint, so they were almost all the same. And the fear of war kept everyone grouped into one monoculture. All of Europa feared diversity, feared prominence. Every town looked and felt the same way, with almost no unique characteristics. The city-states didn't strive to promote their individuality lest they become the next target of the land struggle between the superpowers. The true cultures developed in the shadows, among the mercenaries and the junk dealers. The people who had nothing to fear from notoriety were the ones who evolved the most. Leo wondered what it was like in a country where the ruling party was already established. Did people strive for fame and prominence? Did they show how they could be different? How did people talk? Did they have dialects or different words? Earth had given birth to so many different languages, all lost now. Would Zi ever know a foreign tongue?

Leo shook his head and banished such questions. Why was he wondering about Zi's future when he couldn't even predict his own? And he, who was without any history, was certainly no one to talk about the past.

He ambled through the shopping district and grimaced at the fashion shop windows. The ones closest shops to the ZoidS district boasted the newest fashion trends for Zoid warriors. The men's costumes all featured coats and jackets in bright colors and shinny materials that would make them stand out on the battlefield. Women could wear flashy body suites that accentuated their forms without restricting movement. Leo could never understand why most warriors felt the need to play dress-up for a fight. Many warriors wouldn't be caught in their Zoid's cockpits without wearing their battle costumes; it was an unwritten rule. Leo didn't buy into that mentality. He always wore the same clothing inside Fang as he wore in daily life. The only addition for him was a pair of non-slip gloves for better piloting. He moved on, ignoring all the other stores' merchandise.

He eventually found his way to the local grocery store, which only made him hungry. He kicked himself for buying a drink instead of buying food.

"Hey there, honey. How's about I help you with those?" A gruff voice from the parking lot caught Leo's attention. Several boorish-looking men had gathered around a woman placing groceries in her jeep.

"Buzz off." Most people would have looked a little fearful, but this woman didn't show any foreboding. That probably meant she was a Zoid warrior. Leo stepped to the side to get a better look at her. She had short red hair that ended in flat-tipped bangs and her violet eyes warned her "suitors" not to try anything funny.

"Your words say no but your body language is telling me something very different." Talk about cliché. Even the punks were the same in this town. Leo was about to step forward when the woman struck.

"Let's hear what my fists have to say!" She punched the man square in the jaw and sent him sprawling. Another thug tried to grab her from behind but she clamped down on his arm and tossed him right at Leo.

"Whoa!" Leo moved too slowly and the thug landed right on him, his crushing weight resting fully on Leo's chest. The man reeked of liquor and sweat. Leo gagged from the stench and tried desperately to shove the heavy man off. How had that woman lifted him?

By the time Leo worked his way to freedom, the rest of the gang was either unconscious or limping away with their comrades in tow. "You'll regret this!" They threatened.

"Yeah, yeah." The woman jumped into the driver's seat. "Serves you right for picking on a gentle lady like me!" She revved the engine and took off, nearly running Leo and the unconscious gang member over in the process. She swerved around the corner and was gone in an instant.

Leo stared after her, awed by what he'd just seen. Gentle lady? More like barbarian woman. He dusted himself off and dragged the man to the sidewalk where careless drivers wouldn't be a threat. Leo then "borrowed" some money to buy a sandwich (his service charge for dragging the man to safety), but decided to hold off on eating until it was absolutely necessary. Taking money from gangs like a twisted Robin Hood wouldn't earn him a long life.

He walked back to Fang and piloted the Zoid out of the city towards a nearby mesa. Fang stood perched atop the cliff and howled at the moon. Leo put his feet up on the piloting console and looked up at the stars. He left the canopy hatch open so he could feel the cool evening winds brush through is ash colored hair.

The stars were beautiful when one got away from the city. They sparkled with a light that surpassed any human invention. One star was actually moving, and twinkled with less brilliance than the others. That had to be the ZBC Super Satellite, the new deployment base for all judges.

Thinking of the judges only made Leo refocus on his current problem. He sighed, "What are we gonna do, Fang?" Fang remained silent and rigid as a stone statue. Leo wished that he could communicate with his Zoid better. For living creatures, ZoidS acted too much like machines some times. Leo had heard that Bit Cloud's Liger Zero could actually communicate with its pilot, something that most ZoidS were incapable of thanks to their command systems.

_Boom!_

An explosion blossomed on the desert road below. Leo settled back into the cockpit and peered down. Several giant caterpillars were racing parallel to the pavement. The moonlight shone off their silver armor, and their undulating round sections rose and fell rapidly as they raced on giant red wheels. Laser cannons on their round heads fired at a small patch of green, swerving on the road.

Several Molgas and a jeep. And Leo wasn't sure but thought he saw a small bundle of red hair in the jeep's driver seat. Probably those thugs getting their revenge. Despicable.

Leo felt Fang lean forward just slightly. He smiled. "You want to help too, don't you? Won't be easy. We're not at full strength." The foot pedals squeaked. "Okay. Let's go!" Leo grabbed the controls and pushed the petals against the floor. Fang surged and skidded down the side of mesa.

The Molgas were matching pace to stay behind the slower jeep, so Fang had no difficult in catching up. They were so busy trying to blast their target that none of the pilots noticed Fang approach from behind. Leo steered to the right and lined up the trailing Molga. The targeting display flashed red to indicate a lock-on and Leo fired both pulse lasers. The beams struck the ground beside the Molga. The insect Zoid was shaken, but not damaged.

Leo shook his head. Fang's sights were off, and he'd just recalibrated them that morning. He'd be in trouble if the Molgas started attacking in unison now. It was hard enough to hit a target when Fang's sights were fully aligned. Might as well keep blasting.

Fang sent burst after burst of laser fire, scoring a few lucky shots but missing the targets most of the time. The Molgas ceased their attack on the jeep and instead focused on evasion. None of them broke away to attack him. Leo grinned. Like all bullies, they didn't know what to do when someone actually challenged them. Molgas were usually less powerful than Command Wolfs, and these guys didn't realize they had the technological advantage.

Leo ceased fire and activated his comm. "You've caught me in a good mood, so I won't blow you away just yet. I'll let you go this time. But I don't want to see you around here again. Got it?" He fired one last blast for good measure, and managed to strike the lead Mogal in the tail.

"Y-yes sir!" The Mogals broke off and drove straight towards the horizon. Leo flicked off his comm. and laughed. I'm a better actor than I thought.

The jeeps horn drew his attention. The female driver had gotten out and was waving to him. Leo parked Fang next to the small vehicle and opened the cockpit. Fang lowered his head, allowing Leo to hop out. He grinned at the driver.

It was indeed the woman from the grocery store. She looked about a year or two younger than himself, probably seventeen or eighteen. He couldn't help but notice her well-defined figure, and her eyes were still as fierce as in the parking lot, though they'd softened a bit. She wore a curious hairpiece. Two long orchid rods with purple tips hovered above a ruby, located at the top of her head. These magnetic "pigtails" were the latest fashion trend, and a trademark sign of impulsive shoppers who had a lot of money to throw around.

The woman gasped when she saw his face and stared at him. Leo wasn't sure but he thought she recognized him somehow. "Um… is there something on my face?" His joke didn't lighten her mood, but it did snap her back to reality.

"No. I, um, I just… you look like someone I know." The woman smiled at him. "Thanks for the help. But that was some of the worst shooting I've ever seen."

Leo gave his proudest smile. "I didn't feel like damaging their ZoidS, so I just fired some warning shots."

"Uh-huh. Sure." She rolled her eyes. "Well, better that you came along I guess. I could have handled those creeps with my Gun Sniper, but I had to take this thing instead." She kicked the jeep. Leo was surprised by how quickly her attitude had changed.

"Gun Sniper? You're a Zoid warrior?"

Now she was the one with the proud smile. "I'm Leena Toros. I'm sure you've heard of me."

Leo frowned. "Toros… Toros… that does sound familiar." He snapped his fingers. "Oh, wait! Are you related to Steve Toros, the owner of the Blitz Team?"

Leena's metallic pigtails stuck up in the air like a warning beacon. "Related to him?! I'm his daughter! You mean you haven't heard of Leena Toros, star member of the Blitz Team?" She looked at him with a cold rage that'd make the bravest warrior wet his pants.

Leo stepped back a bit, closer to Fang's cockpit. "Well… um… I've been outta touch for a while. Most people only mention Bit Cloud."

Leena huffed, giving Leo the chance to regain his backbone. "I'll have you know that I was on the team long before Bit came along. He's the new guy on our team."

Leo slowly grinned. "Oh? Then the new guy won the championship _for_ you?" Teasing this woman was probably a death wish, but it was too tempting to resist. Besides, he could jump into Fang's protection before Leena got a hold of his throat.

"_For _me? I would have blown the competition away if it hadn't been for a few… unexpected interferences." She took a deep breath. "Look, I appreciate you helping me, but don't you have somewhere to be right now?"

Leo shook his head. "Nope. No plans for the night and this conversation is just too fun to pass up." There was a certain thrill to poking fun at this woman. It was like edging on a tiger in a flimsy cage. It was the sort of thrill people felt while riding roller coasters and bungee jumping off bridges over rocky canyons. The thrill of looking death in the eye and laughing, all to be found in one woman.

A loud grumbling cut off Leena's retaliation. Leo grinned and rubbed his stomach. "Sorry. Been a long day. Say… you wouldn't have an apple or something you could spare, do you?"

Leena folded her arms and smirked. She reached into a bag and produced the largest, reddest, juiciest apple Leo had ever seen. She held it in front of him. "You mean something like this?"

Leo's mouth watered. "Yeah." He reached for it and she snatched it back. She held it up to her open mouth and gave him a sideways glance. She's got me, Leo realized.

"Who's the star player of the Blitz Team?"

"… Leena Toros."

"I can't hear you."

"Leena Toros."

"Good." She took a bite and tossed the apple back in the bag.

"HEY!" Leo gaped at her.

Leena glided towards the driver's seat. She patted the seat next to her. "Get in."

"Huh?"

"Get in. You can have some dinner at our base. It's not far from here."

Leo glanced from her to Fang and back again. "I can't leave my Zoid here… I'll just follow you."

Leena shook her head. "You really think that old clunker can keep up?"

Clunker? How dare she insult Fang right to his face! "Watch it!" Leo snarled. "Don't insult my Zoid."

Leena blinked. "Geez, don't blow a vein. I'm just saying your Zoid won't be able to keep up, and my home's a long way from here. Just hide it behind those rocks and you can come back for it later." She waved her hand casually towards the mesa.

Leo frowned. How could she expect him to leave his friend? "Someone might steal him, or strip him for parts."

"You honestly think someone would want those parts? Trust me; I know a few junk dealers and they wouldn't touch your Zoid."

"Listen, you! I don't appreciate you saying that about my partner! I've got a good mind to go find those Molgas and tell them its open season on smart mouthed red-heads."

Leena scowled. "Just try it! After I deal with them I'll track you down and show you why I'm a class S warrior!"

"Why you-" Leo's insult never left his lips. Fang creaked loudly and listed towards the rocks. Leo frowned, "You're okay with this?"

Leena pressed her hand to her head. "Oh, great. Another one that talks to ZoidS. Are you coming or not?"

Leo's stomach rumbled again, commanding him to get in the jeep. "Yeah… sure. Just a sec." He returned to Fangs cockpit and left him in the best concealed spot available. He then ran back to the jeep, where Leena sat impatiently. She floored the pedal almost before Leo had his foot in.

They rode in silence for a good half-hour. Leo just watched the landscape fly by and enjoyed the moonlight scenery. Noon Shine City had vanished into the horizon, and he didn't miss it. He felt free out in the open, away from the uniform and monotonous cities. Out here in the desert, every dune was unique. They were in a constant state of change and let the wind wear them down or build them up without complaint or hesitation. The only concern Leo felt was concern for Fang's safety.

Leena remained quiet as well, but she kept peaking at him out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't so much that she was interested in him, but she seemed to be more curious about his resemblance to her unnamed acquaintance. Leo was content to let her start the conversation. Eventually, Leena's sigh broke the silence. "Look, I'm sorry we got off to a bad start. I didn't even ask your name."

"My name's Leo."

"Leo…?"

"Just Leo."

Leena shrugged. "Okay, Leo. Where you from?"

"Nowhere, really. I've been on the road most of my life."

"On the road, huh? Is that where you found that old Command Wolf?"

"His name's Fang. And I met him just before I started my traveling. He's been my partner since day one."

"How long have you been piloting him?"

Leo thought back. "Well… we met when I was eight… so about fourteen years."

"FOURTEEN?" Leena nearly veered off the road. "There's no way an eight-year-old can pilot a Zoid!"

Leo laughed, "True. But I didn't say I piloted him when I was eight. I just met him then. He did most of the driving at first." Leena looked completely bewildered, and Leo understood. A free-willed Zoid was almost unheard of. If anything, command systems were designed to make sure ZoidS didn't wander around on their own. He decided to change the subject. "So, what's for dinner? I'm starving."

Leena grinned, "I noticed. You'll have to ask Jamie. He's our resident chef."

"Jamie?" Leo frowned. Name wasn't familiar, but Leena Toros hadn't been mentioned much with regards to the Blitz Team either.

"You'll meet him when we get there. It's about another half-hour to the Blitz Team base. Too bad we have to ride it in this thing. My Gun Sniper's a lot faster than this jeep."

"Why didn't you take the Sniper?"

"It's still being repaired from the Royal Cup fight."

The reserved lighting cast shadows over the board members' faces, dimming their eyes into obscurity. Such illumination had been specially chosen to reflect the mood of the group. Shadowed eyes mean that no one could read them, and thus all the chair members' insecurities would remain hidden. At least, that was what they believed. The lights were really just an indulgence. No one could ever hide their true weaknesses.

The Zoid Battle Commission's ruling body sat arrayed behind a horse shoe shaped desk, with Chairman George Hancock standing before them like a man on trial. Indeed, he would be judged this night. By dawn's break, a new power would come to rise with its leader given all the power in Zi. The planning and manipulation had been too well crafted to fail now.

The stand-in speaker for the board began the inquiry. "This meeting of the Zoid Battle Commission tribunal will come to order. The chair recognizes Colonel Sen Vaez."

Vaez stood up and looked at Hancock. "General Hancock, before I begin I must congratulate you on your success at the Royal Cup tournament. Were it not for you, we may very well have lost the battle to the Backdraft Organization and lost our control over regulated Zoid battles."

Hancock didn't smile. "The credit is not mine to take, Colonel Vaez. It was you who suggested we build the super satellite as a backup unit." How predictable. Vaez smiled inwardly. His attempt at humility only reminded the tribunal of Vaez's foresight and contributions to the ZBC, thus elevating him in their view. You're no politician, Hancock. And that's why you're being ousted.

"Nevertheless, General, it was you who oversaw the satellites development and deployment, thus ensuring our victory over the Backdraft. Still, this 'victory' has come at a high price. Our Judge Satellite Network and the judges those satellites bore have been destroyed. With only the super satellite serving as a deployment and a handful of judges to oversee battles on more than half the planet, our regulation abilities are severely limited. It will cost a fortune to reestablish a satellite network and I doubt we'll be able to have it up and running before the next season starts. Furthermore, several Class A teams were damaged beyond repair by that Backdraft warrior Vega Obscura during the Royal Cup. They've had to cancel any appearances next season so they can rebuild their ZoidS. We now have fewer high-ranked warriors to attract viewers and funding."

Hancock nodded, "This conflict has cost us dearly. I do not deny that there were incredible losses during the Royal Cup."

"Do you feel you could have prevented these losses?"

"What do you mean?"

"Could you have prevented this tragedy by curtailing the Backdraft's actions ahead of time?"

Hancock's eye twitched, a clear sign that Vaez was getting past his defenses. "We took steps to try to contain the Backdraft, but they are very skilled at hiding and springing from the shadows. They are not a force that can be easily blocked."

"Ah, yes." Vaez picked up a thick stack of papers. "You're referring to the surprise match between the Backdraft Organization and the Blitz Team. You used the Champ Team as bait, then tried to force the Backdraft to play by the Commission's rules in a battle with the Blitz Team. They did not follow the rules, did they?"

"No."

"Why didn't you shoot them down with the satellite network then?"

"The Blitz Team had deployed an air-born Raynos Zoid. Firing on the Backdraft meant risking a hit on the Blitz Team's Zoid. Besides, it wouldn't have sent a clear message to the Backdraft or our own members. We were trying to prove that cheating does not guarantee victory, as the Backdraft would have our younger warriors believe. Blasting them would have been a blatant and ineffective use of force."

"And what about your use of the Blitz Team in this battle? You involved one of our most popular Class A teams in this battle, and the Backdraft's illegal maneuvers nearly cost the team the match. Had they lost, the Backdraft would have confiscated all their ZoidS, including the Ultimate X Liger Zero. Why did you not send a Commission Team?"

Hancock sighed, "I understand the risk involved, but the Blitz Team had been forced into numerous battles with the Backdraft Group in the past. They were best suited to predict the Backdraft's moves and tactics. And they had the skill to pull off a victory against superior numbers."

Vaez nodded, "This was your only noteworthy attempt to curtail the Backdraft Organization. Why didn't you continue to pursue them?"

"The Backdraft halted its activities after the battle. There were only a few unsanctioned matches against the Blitz, Floogal, and some minor-league teams afterwards. Since the Backdraft had refused to follow the rules, even with our own judge standing before them, we decided another attempt such as before would have been pointless. I instead sent out search parties to try to find the Backdraft's leadership: a group known now as the 'Committee of Seven.'"

"And did you find this committee?"

"No. As I said, the Backdraft is skilled at hiding. I believe but cannot confirm that the Backdraft's command structure is hidden within the Zi aristocracy and bourgeoisie. They use their money and influence to cover their actions. I've presented this theory several times, yet I have been denied the ability to investigate."

"Of course. The upper class is the main contributor to the ZBC. How could we pry into their private affairs and still expect their support? Besides, why would our contributors fund our battles and then watch someone else's?" Because the gambling on illegal battles was far more entertaining and profitable, that's why. The contributions where a façade and shield for the elite.

Vaez posed his most poignant question. "General, where you aware that the Backdraft had charged particle cannon technology?"

"No. I was not."

"And therefore you were unable to protect our satellites from their cannon, which promptly blew almost all our judges to pieces. How do you think the Backdraft came into possession of such a weapon?

One of the tribunal members, Colonel Paris objected. "This inquiry is meant to deal with General Hancock's actions, not speculations on the Backdraft Organization." Paris was Vaez's chief rival for Hancock's position, so it came as no surprise he'd stick his comically long nose where it didn't belong.

Vaez said, "I ask this question only to discover the General's view on the Backdraft and the threat it may still present." The stand-in speaker upheld the question.

Hancock answered, "There are any number of ways to discover charged particle technology. We use charged particles in our strongest engines, so the technology could be adapted from non-military sources. Another possibility is that the Backdraft recreated the technology based on ancient records. They also apparently discovered several Genosaurers just before the start of the Royal Cup. I would say that it is most probable that they copied the technology from one of those ZoidS."

"But the cannon blast reached the upper atmosphere. How do you account for such amazing power? Genosaurers cannot possibly generate such a blast. In fact, only two ZoidS in history have such destructive force."

Hancock hesitated so much that he had to be ordered to answer. "It is possible that the Backdraft learned to increase the power of the cannons that was based on the Genosaurer."

He was trying to hide his suspicions from the tribunal lest he awaken their fears. But why hide your fear? Wasn't it better to face it? Vaez would rip the answer out of Hancock if he had to, all to see the fear in the tribunal member's faces. "Any other possibilities?"

Hancock nodded slowly. "It is also possible that the Backdraft was somehow able to clone of the two most destructive ZoidS in history: the Deathsaurer, or the Death Stinger. Since no one saw a giant T-Rex type Zoid during the shooting, I think we can safely say that the Deathsaurer has not been reborn."

"And the Death Stinger possibility?"

"I… We are still investigating that possibility. We managed to triangulate the source of the blast, but many Backdraft leaders and personnel escaped from right under the super satellites sensors. They dug their way out."

Vaez smiled. Hancock had been keeping this investigation quiet, trying to keep the public from mass hysteria. A shame his subordinates where not so publicly-minded. A few credits were all that he needed to loosen their tongues. "The Death Stinger can dig its way underground, can it not?"

Paris objected to the questioning again, and the speaker for the tribunal upheld his denouncement. No matter. Vaez had sown the seed of fear into the tribunal's weak little hearts. The outcome was inevitable.

Hancock was excused while the tribunal debated. Vaez sat back and watched as the fools argued with each other, as if they were still trying to decide the matter. Why bother? He'd already made up their minds for them. There could be a Death Stinger out there in the hands of a rouge organization. Now was certainly the time for new and strong leadership. But General Hancock has much experience and is a stable leader. Yet he couldn't control the Backdraft; he must be losing his edge. Such foolish arguments. This was why Zi needed a real war, not these petty games. Wars made people strong and decisive. A century of peace had left the people spineless and weak. Renewed conflict would certainly weed out the worthless.

It took an hour to reach the same conclusion that Vaez had found before the meeting even started. General Hancock was to be relieved of duty. As expected, Vaez was the chief nomination to replace Hancock with Paris trying to compete. But there was no contest. This meeting had been decided long before the Royal Cup. More than half the members stood to benefit under Vaez's leadership, with new positions offered as a reward for their support. The remaining members lacked the influence to dissuade their colleges from voting one way or another. Hancock's questioning had merely been the fire to light the fuse.

Paris was cut from the same cloth as Hancock. He thought and acted far too similarly to quell the tribunal's fears of a Death Stinger. If Hancock couldn't halt the Backdraft's activities, how could Paris? Besides, he was still needed to help the Republic develop the new Buster Eagle, which would surely help thwart a Death Stinger attack. No, this election was hardly a contest, and Vaez did not shed one bead of sweat during the deliberations.

Sen Vaez emerged from the tribunal meeting room as the new chairman of the Zoid Battle Commission, with a promotion to General to boot. General Hancock offered him a wooden handshake, then opted for retirement.

A pity.

He'd probably go back to serving the Helic Republic, which meant that he'd be on the receiving end of Vaez's first and last offensive. He'd hoped that Hancock would try to stay and fight; attempt to block and advise against Vaez's plans for the ZBC's future. But instead he'd chosen to run, to forfeit his place in history. Just another barrier knocked down, and Vaez hadn't needed to do anything this time.

The unstoppable juggernaut of change was finally gathering strength. Zi would see great revolution in the coming months, and it all began here. These fools had given Vaez the greatest power on Zi: the power to decide the people's interests. The power to control their attitudes and to direct the mob mentality. They'd practically handed him Zi itself! Thank you, outdated bureaucrats, thought Vaez. You've opened the door to the future, and carved the beginning of New Zenevas. And the irony is that you won't know what you've created until you see the LILITH standing over you, about to swallow you whole.

"We're here." Leena pointed to the small mass of buildings that stood out against the desert mountains. The Toros base was a roughly square shaped building with one side completely rounded off, making it look like a filled-in horseshoe. Off to the side was the Zoid hanger. It stood much taller than any other building with the front side sloping at a sharp angle. Aside from a few supply bunkers, the base was comprised of only those two buildings. Leo had expected a Class S team to be more… extravagant.

That wasn't to say he was disappointed. It hadn't occurred to him until he'd seen the base that he was going to actually meet the Royal Cup champions. He'd get to meet Bit Cloud, and see the famous Liger Zero. The Blitz team was renowned for rare ZoidS. Two of their warriors piloted one-of-a-kind ZIODS: the Liger Zero and the Shadow Fox. Another pilot, known only as the Wild Eagle, piloted the super-speed Raynos Zoid, a very rare unit. Leena had mentioned she piloted a Gun Sniper, which was far more standard than any of the Blitz Team's other ZoidS. No doubt that was the reason she and her Zoid hadn't gained more notoriety among the fans and warriors.

Leo couldn't help but grin. This was an opportunity unlike any he'd ever had. Few people every got more than an autograph from Zoid warriors. He was going to have dinner with a Class S team! His stomach was excited too.

Leena pulled into the garage and parked next to what looked like a tall white wall. But as Leo canted his head upward he saw that he stood next to the Blitz Team's hover-cargo transport. Someone had once refereed to these older-model transports as a hanger with engines. The blue disks that encased the internal Zoid hanger filled up most of the transport's body, with only a bridge and a forward hanger jutting out. The unit was sparsely armed with only two laser turrets branching out from the top of the hanger bays and twin blasters on the front bay. Even though this older unit was far outclassed by the newer Whale Kings, it was still famous as the choice transport of the Blitz Team.

Leo shook his head. What he wouldn't give to ride in this thing along with Fang.

"This way." Leena led him across, making him carry most of the groceries along the way. They entered the main building that held the team's living quarters. He followed down a long hallway of pristine metal. There were several surveillance cameras along the way, each one panning back and forth slowly.

"Tight security?"

"Comes with the lifestyle. A lot of people would love to strip parts off our ZoidS or steal them all together. We had to install new security after the Backdraft Group broke in and stole our Liger Zero."

Liger Zero. _The_ Liger Zero. "Any chance I could see this Liger?"

Leena shook her head. "Nope. No chance."

"Why not?" Leo found himself sounding like a kid denied his choice for a toy.

"Because Bit's off on vacation. He took the Liger with him for some R&R." Damn, no Liger Zero.

"Here we are." The door slide to the side, granting Leena access.

"Leena! There you are!" A man dressed in a blue-tinted lab coat stood up within the wreck room. He was tall with dark brown hair styled similar to Leena's, but cut closer to his scalp. He was in his mid forties and benefited from that aura of wisdom that some men managed to exude at that age. His purple eyes, no doubt the ones he'd given to Leena, regarded Leo. "Who's this?"

Leena introduced them. "Dad, this is Leo. Leo, meet my father, Steve Toros."

"Pleasure to meet you." Leo offered his hand and Mr. Toros shook it.

The man regarded his daughter, "You were supposed to get groceries. Not bring home a date." He grinned at her with a playful smirk that ebbed his mature demeanor.

"He's not a date!" Leena didn't like the joke. "Leo just helped me out with some bandits along the way and I offered him dinner as a thank you. Actually, his stomach asked if he could come along."

"So you were picking fights again." There was another person reclining on the couches arrayed inside the sunken area in the middle of the room. He was much younger than Mr. Toros, but older than Leena; about twenty-four or so. He too wore a long coat, but it had no sleeves and faded from dark gray to light the lower one looked. He wore an old Earth Native American necklace over his blue shirt. His walnut hair was rough and unkempt, adding a roguish look. His eyes were less exuberant than Leena's or her father's. This man had mercenary written all over him. "Brad Hunter. Nice to meet you, Leo."

"Likewise." Leo shook the man's hand. "You're the Shadow Fox pilot, aren't you?"

Brad nodded, "That's me." He noted the look in Leo's eyes. "Ah, you want to take a look, huh?" Leo nodded. "After dinner." Brad lay back down. "I'm too hungry to play tour guide right now. You're late, Leena."

"I told you! I got hung up with some creeps outside of town!" Leena's magnetic pigtails nearly struck her father in the face as she became more flustered.

"Sure." Brad closed his eyes, "You just don't know how to stay out of trouble, that's all."

Leena clenched her teeth for a moment and then shouted, "Jamie! C'mere and start dinner. We've got company!"

The door at the opposite end of the room slid open. "Company?" A young man, only in his late teens, stepped inside. He had short, dark gray, spiky hair and a frail looking body. His face had the look of someone who'd seen unusual sights, but still had a lot more to experience. He shook Leo's hand as well. "My name's Jamie Hermeros. Nice to meet you."

Leo returned the salutation and gave Jamie his name. Jamie took the groceries into the kitchen and began to cook. Leo sat down in the wreck area, and found himself sinking into the lush upholstery. He hadn't sat in something this comfortable in a long time. His body was so used to Fang's beat-up pilot's chair that he'd almost forgotten what normal seating felt like.

"So, Leo," Mr. Toros sat down across from him, "how did you bump into Leena?"

Leo decided not to mention his first encounter with Leena outside the supermarket. "I was on the outskirts of town when I saw several Mogals blasting at a jeep. Fang and I decided to shoo them away, and it turned out that Leena was their target."

Mr. Toros frowned, "Fang?"

"My Command Wolf."

Brad nodded, "So you're a warrior. I used to pilot a Command Wolf. Good Zoid."

"Not Leo's." Leena returned from the kitchen. "His was so old I'm surprised it didn't fall apart underneath him. And Leo's aim was so bad he didn't even touch the Mogals themselves." Leo scowled at her.

"Leena." Mr. Toros warded his daughter off. Her only reply was a shrug. "Are you a part of a team, Leo?"

Leo shifted in his seat. "I was over a month ago. We had a… disagreement and I split away from the group. I was trying to find a new team to hook up with when the season ended and everyone went back to training."

"Tough break." Brad asked, "Any plans now?"

Leo shrugged. "Something'll come up. Right now I'm more concerned about Fang. I had to leave him back at the town where I met Leena. He's probably lonely right now." Everyone arched an eyebrow at him. He was used to this reaction by now. He shifted the conversation and learned the story behind the Blitz Team's rise to success and their victory in the Royal Cup. Despite Leena's boasts, it was clear that Bit Cloud was one of the main reasons they kept winning.

"Dinner's ready!" Jamie came out and placed large platters of food on the center table. The kid obviously had experience cooking for a large group. Steak, chicken, salad, rice, peas; Leo hadn't seen a feast like this in forever. He tried to refrain from shoveling the food down. He didn't want to offend his hosts.

"So, Mr. Toros-"

"Call me Doc, please. Everyone else does."

Leo nodded and said, "How did you come across the Liger Zero?"

Doc chuckled and leaned back. "It was a couple years ago. A slick trader sold it to me for a small fortune, and then it turned out the Zoid wouldn't let anyone pilot it."

"Slick?" Leena chided him. "He barely had to name a price before you bought the Liger. You and you're impulse shopping."

"You're a fine one to talk." Brad said in between bites of his meal. Leena looked like she'd throw her plate at him.

Leo glanced at Jamie. "Is this normal?"

He sighed, "Too normal. What's scary is that I've gotten used to this." He ate his food pensively.

Doc continued. "The Liger gathered dust in our hanger for some time before Bit came along. He was the only one that Liger Zero would allow into its cockpit. Bit's one of the few people who can pilot an Ultimate X Zoid."

Ultimate X? "Then it's true? Liger Zero has an organoid inside of it?"

Doc shrugged, "It has an organoid system, but that's very different from an organoid. We've had several scientists scan the Liger's system, but no piece of equipment can get a reading on it. The whole system's a mystery."

Leo considered the power a Zoid must have with an organoid system. Organoids had been the trusted partners of the ancient Zoidian race, shortly before the great disaster. The organoids had the ability to fuse with their larger cousins, enhancing the Zoid's abilities to a whole new level. People had thought them to be extinct after all these years, but Leo couldn't help but fanaticize that there might be a permanently-bonded organoid within the Liger Zero.

Brad changed the topic, "Jamie, have you fixed the Shadow Fox yet?"

"Yeah. All the components are working fine."

"But it still squeaks. You did something wrong."

"I did not! I checked and double-checked all the attachments. Why are you making such a big deal over a squeak?"

Brad's tone became cynical. "The Shadow Fox is a _stealth_ Zoid. How am I supposed to be stealthy if an enemy can hear me squeaking?"

"Ever think that maybe the Shadow Fox is trying to say something?" Leo asked. There was that look from the group again.

Leena said, "The Shadow Fox's legs were blasted off during the Royal Cup. We tried to repair what was left, but it hasn't sounded right since. Maybe Uncle Laon could fix it?"

Doc shook his head, "Not unless you want to post bail for him." He explained to Leo. "Laon was an old friend of mine until a disagreement of our own made us rivals. He spent all of last season trying to destroy us, until he ended up saving Leena during the Royal Cup. Laon built the Shadow Fox and we won it from him in a battle. It's highly advanced so it's hard to provide maintenance."

Leo nodded. "Sounds like you guys had a rough time in the Royal Cup."

Brad said, "No worse than usual when the Backdraft Group is involved."

Leena added, "But who cares what happened! We're the champs now."

Jamie was less enthusiastic. "You shouldn't brush off our losses like that. The Gun Sniper and the Raynos are still under repairs, the Shadow Fox is having difficulty, and we still haven't fixed the Liger Zero's armor sets. We're going to need more help if we're going to fix our ZoidS in time to train for next season." The group nodded solemnly.

"May I see your ZoidS?" Leo asked.

"Sure." Brad stood up. "I'm full now, so let's go." Leo followed him to the Zoid hanger. The Raynos was the first Zoid that Leo's eyes fell upon. Though it was marked and maimed by what looked like the effects of a crash landing, its true beauty shone to anyone who took the time to look. The top half of the Zoid's body was light green with dark gray splashed across its underside. The claws on the edges of its two wings glinted silver, as did the laser cannons on its belly and the twin blasters attached to its tail. The orange cockpit clung close to the Zoid's sleek, narrow head, with a small crest protruding out the back. Leo heard that this type of Zoid was based on an ancient flying creature from prehistoric Earth.

The next Zoid also resembled a long-dead creature. The Gun Sniper was as bipedal dinosaur Zoid with short claws and two long curved blades on its feet. It body design was boxy, a trademark of older-modeled ZoidS. Dents and scratches covered the Zoid from top to bottom, with some of the claws and limbs holding on by some sheer miracle. It had yet to be restored. It was colored the standard dark blue with an orange cockpit and gray legs and arms. The armaments were anything but standard, however.

In addition to the two machine guns on the claws, the twin missile pods on the back, and the long-range sniper cannon that served as the Zoid's tail, Leena had upgraded with Zoid with an even more impressive arsenal. Twin vulcan cannons jutted up from a wild weasel laser cannon set slung across the back. Two mortar cannons were fixed to the vulcans, and four larger-grade missile pods hung off the Zoid's arms and hips.

"That's… a lot of firepower." Leo shuddered to think what a woman like Leena could do with this much firepower.

"Tell me about it. Leena upgraded from a Dibision, so ballistics were the choice for custom parts. She wastes a fortune in ammo." Most of the armaments were as banged up and fragile as the Gun Sniper's body. Brad led him to the final Zoid in the hanger.

The Shadow Fox was a defaced work of art. The gold on its forehead and shoulder stood out against its almost pitch-black body. The Zoid was all angles, save for the cockpit hatch. Its red eyes peered out over the desert as if already searching for its next opponent. A six barrel Vulcan cannon jutted up from the Fox's back, but there were no ammunition chambers. Judging from the power connections, the cannon was designed to channel laser power. The tail was half black and light gray. The hinges betrayed the presence of an internal weapon. Nothing that small could be lethal, but perhaps it held a net launcher of some kind.

The only blemish to this masterpiece was its right legs. Both bore melted scars from where a high-powered beam had shattered them. The weld points were sloppy and disgusting. Their lumpy texture stood out in harsh contrast to the Fox's smooth surface. The Zoid itself was still held upright by a support frame, and it was clear from the tools lying around that the Blitz team had been trying to fix the Fox's legs for some time.

"Incredible…" Leo whispered.

Brad smiled with a small hint of pride. "You won't find a Zoid like this anywhere else. It's state-of-the-art and one-of-a-kind."

"And it squeaks." Leo reminded him.

Brad's smile became a grimace. "Yeah. Been reconnecting parts and oiling joints ever since the Royal Cup, but I still can't get the leg to pipe down."

"Maybe the problem isn't in the leg. Maybe it's somewhere else."

"So it squeaks in the leg because there's a problem somewhere else? Something tells me you haven't done much maintenance in your life."

Leo was about to contradict him when Doc Toros and the others entered the hanger. "Listen up, team." he announced. "Now that we can work on full stomachs it's time we got back to repairing out ZoidS. As it stands, only the Liger Zero is fit for combat, and all of the Liger's extra armor components are spent. We've got to get some major repairs done before we can start training again for the next season. Because time is so critical, I've decided we'll pool our resources and repair one Zoid at a time. Our combined labor should speed up the repairs and enable us to work faster. We'll start with Leena's Gun Sniper."

They might have worked well as a team in the battle field, but they were lousy mechanics. Leo stood back and watched, knowing that Zoid warriors didn't like other people to touch their "equipment." It was obvious that Doc, Jamie, Brad, and Leena knew how to repair a Zoid, but they lacked the cohesiveness to repair it as a unified body. Brad wanted to repair the legs while Leena opted to fix her precious arsenals. But refitting the Vulcan cannons strained the leg joints and slowed Brad's repairs. And since the legs were not yet balanced, Leena couldn't calibrate her weapons' sights. Jamie and Doc didn't excel in repairs either. Doc tended to give the orders to Jamie and have him work on complex systems that were probably beyond his understanding. Leo wondered if this was Doc's way of teaching Jamie about Zoid functions.

Whatever the case, Jamie was struggling, and that was making him frustrated. The same was true for Brad and Leena. As the evening droned on, tempers began to shorten and Leo often found himself stopping an argument from coming to blows. He had to steal several tools away from Leena before she bashed Brad over the head. By midnight, Doc Toros finally acknowledged the inevitable.

"Okay, everyone. That's enough. We've done all we can for tonight. Let's get some sleep and tackle this again in the morning." The team all too readily agreed and walked towards the sleeping quarters, covered in Zoid fluid, grease, and sweat. Leo, on the other hand was just getting started. He declined Doc Toros' invitation to escort him to the guest room, saying that he wanted to stay up and look around. Doc nodded hesitantly, and Leo noticed that he activated the security system on his way out. Good idea.

Too bad their security system was so obvious. Laser wires, cameras, and drop-down nets. Nothing Leo hadn't snuck around before. He'd been dodging security for over half his life and this team didn't have any special tricks.

He regarded the ZoidS assembled before him. Even without the Liger Zero, it was an impressive assortment. Amazing that one team could acquire such a unique collection of parts and ZoidS. He trembled to think how Fang could perform if he had this kind of technology on his side. And it was all right here, in front of Leo.

"Well then," he rubbed his hands together. "Where shall I start? Shadow Fox, let's see what wonders I can work on you."

Daybreak at the Toros base did little to improve everyone's spirits. They were still tired and cranky from the night before. Leena and Brad kept exchanging sour glares at each other while Doc Toros and Jamie opted for silence. They walked to the hanger as a solemn procession more befitting a funeral than a battle team. For all they knew, they might end up killing each other before the day was done.

But the sights that greeted them in the hanger washed away any thought of the night before. The change was obvious the moment the stepped into the large space.

"Look at my Gun Sniper!" Leena cried. "It's… it's… beautiful!" The fully restored gun barrels glistened in the morning light, and its body shone with a fresh waxing and polish. The Raynos and the Shadow Fox had been similarly repaired and polished, and upon testing Brad found that the squeak in the Fox's shoulder had vanished.

"How'd this happen?" Doc rubbed his head. The answer came through a snort.

Lying on a small workbench was Leo, sound asleep, using his arm for a pillow, and covered in stains and sweat from an obviously long night of repairs. He snored loudly and didn't stir at all as the others approached.

"He fixed all our ZoidS in one night?" Jamie stared dumbfounded.

"Not bad." Brad commented. "And he even fixed the Shadow Fox, a Zoid only we're familiar with."

Doc Toros nodded, "Impressive. This boy has a lot of mechanical skill." He smiled. "Team, I think we just found ourselves a new mechanic!"

That's all for Chapter One. We'll see how well Leo adapts to the unusual routine of the Blitz Team in Chapter Two. Once again, reviews and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.


	2. New Guy

ZoidS: Battle Dawn

Chapter 2: The New Guy

by Silver

Author's Note: I want to thank all the people who read Chapter 1, and give special thanks to all the reviewers. I always love seeing that "Review Alert" e-mail from 

I just want to answer a question from moguera from the last chapter. I came up with the name "Hancock" for the Chairman. It didn't seem rational to keep calling him "Chairman." I'm afraid that Zoids Zero was pretty short on depth. They didn't even give names to half the head honchos. I'll try to fill in as best I can, but most names will probably be my own inventions.

"12515! You did not destroy the target! What is the problem?" The angry man in a dark uniform bellowed. His coat covered his whole body, making him look like a block; a _big_ block. He had to tilt his head all the way up to look the angry man in the face. "Why didn't you shoot?"

"I… I couldn't."

"Why not?"

He looked over at the Dark Horn, all busted and broken on the desert field. The Zoid's armor was cracked and big chunks rested on the sand next to his body. His joints stuck out from his insides and his eye kept staring out past the black horn on its snout. It felt like the Dark Horn—Thunder—was looking right at him, begging them not to hurt him. How could he shoot at something that hadn't done anything wrong?

"T… T-Tooth doesn't want to shoot." He glanced back at the smaller Zoid that stood hunched down with the top half of its head sticking up. The lid looked heavy, like it was trying to close. He knew Tooth didn't want him to climb in.

"Tooth? Who the hell is Tooth?"

"Tooth." He pointed over towards the Zoid he'd been assigned for the day. "He's standing right there."

"That's a Rev Raptor."

"I know. But he's got really shinny teeth, so I call him Tooth. I think he likes the name." He smiled, which only made the grown up even madder. He balled up his fist hit hard. The sand felt hot and stung the back of his neck as he hit the ground. He quickly stood back off, only to be struck down again. He stayed down on the burning sand this time.

Through his tears, he said to the angry man in black, "Tooth doesn't want to shoot Thunder, and neither do I!"

"Why do you keep naming Zoids? They're just hunks of metal!" His kick hurt even more than the punch.

"No they're not! They're alive! And Thunder didn't hurt anyone! You just wanna hurt him because you can't fix him."

"Call that thing by its proper term. It's a _Dark Horn_!"

"He's Thunder! His name is Thunder! He's not like the other Zoids, he's special!"

"How?"

"He just is! He's not like any other Zoid, even if he looks like them. He's special, so he deserves a name, just like Tooth and all the other Zoids!"

"Don't be stupid!" Another kick, this time to the ribs.

"It's not stupid!" he sobbed. "I hate not having a name, so the Zoids must not be happy either!"

"You can have a name when you prove yourself useful!" The angry man spat and picked up a shinny cylinder from his belt. "12516, come here." A large, red metal tiger appeared from underneath the sand. It shook all the dust off the big guns attached to its back. He marched towards them and stopped in front of the angry man. He leaned forward, like he wanted to step on the adult. It wasn't just the Zoid that wanted to do it; the pilot wanted the same thing!

12516 was piloting that Zaber Tiger. That was bad. He hated 12516 because the other pilot was always being mean to Zoids and following the angry men's orders. Wasn't he unhappy that he didn't have a name either?

"12516, show 12515 how a combat Zoid is used." The guns swiveled to target Thunder.

"NO!" He tried to get up and run to the Zaber Fang, but another punch knocked him back to the ground. The Zaber Fang fired three times, and all of them struck Thunder. The Zoid gave one final scream while chunks of it fell all over the ground and green fluid poured out of its body. The lights in its eye dimmed and faded away, and then its body began to go from black to pale gray. Thunder was dead.

"NOOO!" He cried. "Why'd you do that? Thunder didn't hurt anyone! Why'd you kill him?"

"Shut up!" There would have been more hitting if it hadn't been for the other explosion. Now Tooth was screaming, falling over and smashing into the sand and kicking up a big wave that covered everyone.

"12516! I did not order you to destroy the Rev Raptor! Cease and desist!" 12516 kept firing at the Zoids, who were already dead. He just kept blasting them over an over, sending more of their bodies flying away and breaking them into smaller pieces. Both Thunder and Tooth were gone now; why was he still trying to hurt them?

Two Zabats flew in from the sky. He could never figure out how they flew with those triangle-shaped holes in their wings. He also couldn't see how people could fly those Zabats. Their silvery ears were bigger than their black, round heads. And there weren't any cockpit windows, just two beady green eyes. These had to be Zabats that could fly themselves. Maybe the men were telling them how to fly from back at headquarters.

They both had cords dangling from their bellies, and there was a large disk attached to the cords. They swooped in and the disks grabbed onto the Zaber Tiger. The Zabats lifted it up into the air, and there was a shock of blue energy along the cords. The Zaber Tiger went limp, so 12516 must be asleep now too.

"You see?" He said to the angry man as 12516 was taken away. "You see how sad everyone gets when other people hurt Zoids? It's wrong! We shouldn't do this."

"Be quiet! How do you expect to become a solider with that attitude?"

"I don't want to be a soldier!"

"You will be a solider, you will pilot a Zoid and you will shoot to kill. Understand, 12515?"

"NO!"

"12515!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"12515!"

"That's not my name!" Leo sat bolt upright, drenched in a cold sweat. He panted a few staggering breaths before he worked up the courage to look around. He was in a Zoid hanger, with a large dark-grey fox standing before him. That's right… he'd fallen asleep in the Blitz Team's hanger after fixing some of their Zoids. He noticed that the security systems had been deactivated, and the Gun Sniper and Raynos were gone. Leo stood up on shaky legs and took a few uncertain steps. Those dreams were the hardest part of being somewhere new. He'd probably have one again after he said goodbye to the Blitz Team.

His steps grew steadier as he moved towards the hanger doorway, which now stood wide-open, letting in a flood of noon light. Leo squinted under the glare and gazed out at the surrounding mesas and rock formations. He'd slept more than half the day away, yet he still felt tired. Amazing how a dream could sap so much strength. He sat down and pressed his back to the metal. It felt as hot as the sand in his dream, but it quickly cooled against his spine and allowed him to enjoy the sun's warmth. The chill of his own sweat had made him shiver.

12516… I wonder what ever happened to that bastard.

"You okay?" Brad Hunter emerged from the hanger. "I heard shouting and thought someone was breaking in."

Leo stood up, "No, just a bad dream." Brad nodded, apparently not intrigued enough to ask about the dream itself. Leo was mildly amused since most people displayed a little more curiosity. "So, where is everyone?"

"Gone off to run an errand. I'm not supposed to say anything until they get back."

Leo frowned, but nodded, "Does that mean you'll be taking me back to get my Zoid?"

"Nope. They also said for me not to let you leave before they got back."

"Somehow, you don't strike me as a person who likes to deliver messages."

Brad shrugged again. "Not too fond of it, but they are the ones who write my paycheck, so it's not like I can say no. By the way, thanks for fixing the Fox. What was wrong with it?"

Leo grinned. 'Haven't done much maintenance in my life,' he says. "The joint on the right back leg had a crack in it. That crack caused friction against the actuator. That was what was causing the squeak."

Brad frowned, the first sign of emotion so far. "But the squeak was coming from the right front leg."

"Yeah, but the regulator between the two legs had to hold the right front leg back in order to keep it in sync with the rear leg, hence the squeak. The crack that was causing the problem was pretty small, so I'm not surprised it went unnoticed for a while."

Brad arched an eyebrow. "Didn't think of that. How'd you find out?" "Shadow told me."

"Shadow?"

"Seemed like a fitting name for the Shadow Fox. Shadow just about sums him up."

"And the Fox told you all this?"

"Well, he didn't _tell_ me in words, but he shifted once or twice during the night so I figured he was trying to say something."

Brad stared at him for a moment, apparently unsure how to respond, an all-too-familiar expression. "Zoids twitch all the time. It's in their nature. What makes you think he was trying to tell you something?"

"What makes you think he wasn't?" Leo countered. There was no hostility behind these words, merely a different viewpoint. Brad let it go without another word. Leo was disappointed. He liked to debate with people about Zoids, even if they refused to believe him.

Brad looked up, "They're back." A moving plume of dust on the roadway signaled the return of the hover-cargo. Leo was impressed by the speed of the transport. It was definitely faster than any Gustav. It glided along the road's path, never really touching the ground. He would have liked to have ridden in it. Technology like that was way better than wandering everywhere inside Fang.

The Hover-Cargo pulled to a stop in front of the base and its passengers disembarked out the lower hatch below the bridge section. Leena, Doc, and Jamie's smiles made Leo a little hesitant.

"Hello, Leo." Doc greeted him. "Have a good sleep?"

"Yeah. Pretty good…"

Doc didn't appear to register the hesitation in Leo's voice. "I have to say you caught us all off-guard this morning. It was a real shock to the system to see most of our Zoids fully repaired. And you did it while avoiding the security system as well. That's a rare talent." He slung his arm around Leo's shoulders and guided him back towards the Hover Cargo. "We were so impressed that we thought of making an offer."

"Offer? Wait, let me guess. You want me to become your mechanic, full time."

Doc's cheery demeanor melted into stunned silence. Leena and Jamie weren't smiling either. Doc whirled around. "Brad! Did you tell him?"

Brad shook his head. "Not me."

"No one told me. It's pretty easy to guess. Everyone asks me to be their mechanic when they see how good I am at repairing Zoids. The thing is that I don't _want_ to be a mechanic. Not full time."

"Why not?" asked Leena.

Leo answered with another question. "When's the last time you ever heard of an ace mechanic? Zoid warriors get all the credit. Mechanics are left soaking in oil and grease while the warriors are out celebrating. That's no life for me."

Jamie said, "It's true that mechanics don't get as much fame as Zoid warriors, but it's not as if they don't matter. Warriors would be helpless without mechanics to help them."

Leo waved his hand. "Fact still remains that I don't want to be a mechanic. Sorry, but the answer's no."

"NO?" Leena stomped forward and pressed her face in front of his. "What do you mean, 'no?' We're giving you the offer of a lifetime! Do you have any idea how much money a Class S team makes? You could buy a brand new Zoid in barely a month!"

Leo tried not to back away from Leena's intimidating face. She had surprisingly sharp teeth, and they were very close to his throat. "Class S may award a lot of prize money, but even if I joined your team that money would be pretty slim. You'd have to divide the money six ways, and that's assuming I'd get an equal share."

"You would." Doc assured him.

"My answer is still- Urk!" Leo cut off as Leena yanked his arm and pulled him towards the Hover Cargo. "You don't take 'no' for an answer, do you?"

"Not when the answer's stupid!" She pulled him into the Hover Cargo's main hanger. The large blue cylindrical shell was hollowed out to make room for a rotating hanger bay. A series of platforms hung on a track grid lining the edges of the bay. Each platform could be rotated around the entire deck, making quick deployment an easy task. There were also four container bays on each side of the hanger. These were the storage compartments for what Leo had heard to be the Liger Zero's legendary combat armor system.

Leena pressed a button and the platforms began to rotate. The Raynos and Gun Sniper passed by on their respective perches and then rotated up towards the top of the hanger, so high up that Leo had to cant his head all the way back to even see their undersides. The next platform came to a halt, and Leo's mouth fell.

"Fang!" The white Command Wolf starred ahead with no sign of recognition, but Leo knew he was happy to see his pilot again. Leo hopped onto the platform and checked his Zoid over. No missing components, no new scarring on the armor. Some of the damaged parts had deteriorated even more, but that could be fixed. Leo smiled. His partner hadn't been touched. That smile faded when he remembered Leena's comments on how no one would want parts from an outdated Zoid like Fang.

He turned to her. "Thanks for bringing him back. This saves me a lot of time. I was planning on heading east, away from Noon Shine City."

Leena's eye twitched. "You still don't get it, do you? We got your Zoid back for you because we were sure you'd agree to this deal! It's a better chance than most people get and you're throwing it away!"

"Most people are content to stay in the backlight. Not me. Now, if you'll open the door, Fang and I will be on our way."

Leena didn't move. "Where will you go?"

"Somewhere. The season will be starting again soon, so there's bound to be someone looking for an experienced pilot."

"Experience in _losing_ you mean. You couldn't even get into Class B. What makes you think that anyone would want to sign you on with a record like that?" Leo didn't respond. Leena smirked a look of triumph. "I tell you what, we'll sweeten the deal. Besides having a cut of our Class S winnings, having access to all our equipment to repair Fang, and getting to see a lovely woman like myself every day; Brad, Bit, and I will train you to be a better Zoid warrior. You can leave whenever you feel like you've learned enough. Come on, how many people get the chance to learn from Class S warriors?"

He was tempted. Sorely tempted. That was a good offer; better than anything he'd ever had in his life. But there was something inside him that quivered at the idea. It told him not to agree. Just take Fang and go and find something else. But what else was there? What could possibly be out there that was better than the chance he had right here and now? This was the chance to rebuild, to gain a fresh start. If these Class S winnings were as good as Doc Toros promised, Leo could repair and even upgrade Fang in less than a year. He'd be able to compete on the same level as modern Zoid, and be an even better pilot. This was too good to pass up. He could stand being a mechanic for a while. Besides, he'd be working on the Liger Zero and Shadow Fox! Who wouldn't want the chance to learn how those Zoids worked?

He nodded. "Okay, you sold me. I'm in."

"Took you long enough." She took his arm again and yanked him back towards the exit. "Let's go tell Dad the good news."

Going to sleep the new ZBC Commissioner had been a gratifying experience, but waking up as the Commissioner was even more invigorating! Content sleeps such as last night's were far too infrequent. Would that he could sleep so soundly every night. But soon, very soon, he would sleep as a king, securing in his power and with a queen by his side.

The irritating bleep from the video-phone interrupted Sen Vaez's rapture. He stood up and activated the sound system. It would not be proper for an underling to see his leader in a state of undress. "Vaez."

"It's me." said an electronically distorted voice.

"Status?"

"The Count is unaware of my activities so far, but I think he's becoming suspicious. He's retreated to the stronghold in the Pryderi wasteland. Coordinates are-"

"I know where it is. Let's not waste time discussing things were already know. Does he have the weapon?"

"No. He ordered it destroyed when he fled the Backdraft Headquarters. It would take too long to dismantle it."

Just as planned. At least it had made for a good bluff. Why bother resurrecting the Death Stinger when its tail was enough to send the masses into a panic? "What are his defenses?"

"There are only a few turrets on the base itself. His main guards are stationed here, as are a squadron of Zabats and a division of Iron Kongs and Dark Horns. All units are loaded with heavy weaponry. He hand-picked the soldiers here so that they could drive off a large enemy using a limited number of Zoids."

"What about his personal Zoid?"

"I'll disable his Guysack the day of the attack. The Count is not planning to move from this hiding place until the searches die down." Good. No digging out this time, and no rush.

"I'll arrive with a task force in two days. Keep the Count where he is and try to weaken his defenses any way you can. Be sure to sabotage those turrets on the day of the attack."

"Understood."

Vaez smiled. "Then I will see you soon."

"I look forward to it." The voice clicked off.

Finally! Vaez thumped his fist off his dresser in triumph. He finally had the old man cornered. After seven years he'd get to have the conversation he'd so carefully scripted out. Of course it would go the way he'd planned exactly, but close enough to give him that intense feeling of satisfaction, a feeling that surpassed his accomplishment from the night before! Two days. That's all it would take to alert the tribunal and dispatch a task force. This was going to be so gratifying.

Last night he'd been handed all the legitimate power on Zi. In two days, he'd be ruler of Zi's shadow world as well. It would be long before he controlled every facet of power on the planet. No one would lie beyond his reach.

Leo wiped his brow, leaving a greasy streak in its wake. After almost seven hours of work, the Shadow Fox was near complete recovery. Patching up the malfunctions and mistakes that Jamie and the others had missed was no small task. As unwilling as he was to keep this job, Leo had to admit he felt a tidal wave of pride at his accomplishment.

The metal and components needed to fully repair the Shadow Fox had arrived the prior day, just as Leo had settled into his new room. Fang was resting comfortably in the hanger bay, across from the Fox. Leo had spent most of the day polishing the Raynos and Gun Sniper, then used a few spare components that the Blitz Team didn't need to replace and even upgrade some of Fang's equipment. He was lucky that Brad used to pilot a Command Wolf himself. The extra parts came free and were more advanced than anything on Fang.

Leo had saved the Shadow Fox for last. It truly was a work of art, and a pain in the neck to fix. He'd cut and molded the metal parts as best he could, using designs archived by the ZBC. The Berserk Fury's attack had melted many parts, and so Leo had to both install the equipment and ensure that the Fox's repair system did not reject anything.

He could never explain why he was so good at repairing Zoids. It came like a second nature to him. He didn't even have to think about it; the solution to a repair problem just came to him instantly. In truth, Leo was sure that he didn't have any skills at all. It was the Zoids themselves who told him to affect repairs.

After all the melting, cutting, welding, polishing, wrenching, and calibrating, the Shadow Fox once again stood proud. Leo had taken special care to smooth out the welding marks. It would be a crime to tarnish a Zoid like this. Leo couldn't help but envy Brad for piloting the Fox. Its mixture of speed, camouflage, and attack power was uncommon for a Zoid this size.

Still, it wasn't Fang. Fang was a standard issue Command Wolf, but he was still his own unique individual. All of the Shadow Fox's glamour couldn't take away the fact that Fang was just as special.

"That should do it, Shadow." Leo regarded his own Zoid. "How do the new parts feel?" Silence. But it was a content silence. Leo knew that Fang was pleased. "Just you wait. In a little while, you'll be feeling like you've just been born."

He looked down at his grimy hands and smelled the stank of sweat and various mechanical fluids. Tired as he was, he really needed a shower.

Most of the Blitz Team was just waking up. They had the luxury of sleeping in while Leo worked repairs. He didn't mind too much, but it was a reason not to get too caught up in being a mechanic. Working on the Fox was great; but it wasn't worth a lifetime career.

"Good morning, Leo." Jamie called from the kitchen. He'd already started breakfast.

"Morning." Leo yawned. "I'll be in the shower. Could you please save some breakfast for me?"

"Sure. But Leena's in the…" Leo stepped into the shower room before Jamie could finish his sentence. Right now he didn't care what Leena was up to. He needed a shower, bad.

Stripping off his shirt, Leo stepped into the shower stall to warm up the water. That's when he saw her. She stood before him, completely naked with water pouring over her smooth skin. There was a slight blush on her face from the water's warmth, and she was humming a relaxing melody while she lathered herself in soap. Leo's jaw fell, as did Leena's when she saw him.

"Aaaaiiee!" She tossed the bar of soap and struck him dead center. Leo yelped and staggered backwards, slipping on the wet floor and falling on his butt.

"I-I'm sorry!" Leo covered his eyes with his hand.

"What kind of a pervert are you?" Leena demanded. "Do you always spy on your teammates in the shower?"

"I wasn't spying! I… I didn't take any pleasure from that. It was an accident!"

"That lump in your pants says otherwise!"

"I can't help that. It's a natural reaction."

"I'll show you a 'natural reaction.'" Leo heard metal ripping apart and risked a glance to see what was happening. Leena, now concealed behind a towel, was pulling a nearby bathtub off the floor and aiming it at Leo! He staggered to his feet and fled out the doorway with Leena in close pursuit.

Leo ran down the hallway, not paying attention to Jamie's "I tried to warn you." He sprinted for the hanger, passing Doc and Brad along the way. He glanced back and instantly wished he hadn't. Leena was running with amazing speed while carrying a large and cumbersome object over her head. Leo remembered his appraisal of her from that night outside the grocery store. Barbarian Woman.

And that barbarian was catching up to him. He wasn't going to reach Fang in time. Leo ran for the closest Zoid in the hanger, which happened to be the Shadow Fox. Leo charged up the stairs and leaped into the cockpit just as Leena was preparing to throw the tub. He closed the hatch and launched the Fox forward. The tub bounced off the Fox's armor, leaving a small dent as it fled.

He heaved a sigh of relief as the Fox emerged into the sunlight and bounded over the desert sand. It occurred to Leo that he never got his shower, and the pilot's chair and controls was now stained with all the grime and water he'd picked up. "Sorry, Shadow. I'll clean you up as soon as Leena calms down and I finally get a shower." It amazed him how smoothly the Shadox Fox moved. The Zoid ran in such a way that all four of its legs lifted off the ground at once. The front feet would touch the ground, then it would bound off its rear feet again. Yet it was such a smooth ride that Leo hardly felt a thing…

_BOOM!_

An explosion beside the Fox snapped Leo out of his revelry.

"Leo! You can't get away from me that easily!" Leena's Gun Sniper pursued them with its Vulcan cannons firing off round after round. Leo swerved to the side to avoid one barrage, just as another blossomed to intercept him. She's fast, he realized.

Leo frantically punched a request for the weapons readout. The screen answered his plea with a display pointing to the various weapons on the Fox's body. The laser Vulcan cannon would stop the Gun Sniper for sure, but that would hurt the Zoid and piss Leena off even more. The electro net was gentler, but again he ran the risk of increasing Leena's rage. The smoke discharger. That was the safest bet.

With a quick squeeze of the trigger, the Gun Sniper vanished from sight in a cloud of black smoke. Leo allowed himself an exhale and smiled as he heard Leena curse over the comm.

And then she was shooting at him again, clearly visible and even madder than before. For a moment, it seemed as if the smoke had never left the Fox's body. Then he saw the smoke cloud, blowing in the wrong direction, carried by the desert's cruel wind.

"What are you thinking?" the comm. demanded. "You never use a smoke screen when the wind's against you!"

"Brad?" Leo searched for a sign of salvation, but Brad was nowhere. "Where are you?"

"Hang on. I'm coming." There was an edge to his voice that almost made Leo resign himself to Leena's wrath, but the next explosion quickly changed his mind. Okay, smoke screen failed. Time to try something a little more aggressive.

The electro net was a wonder of non-lethal technology. After wrapping around the target, it unleashed a charge strong enough to short out the command and combat systems of any small to middle-sized Zoid. The Zoid survived undamaged, yet was rendered completely harmless in one short blast.

That was, of course, if one could get around the obvious flaw in the system. A flaw so subtle that most people never thought about it until after something had gone wrong. A flaw that Leo saw the moment he let the capsule fly out the Fox's tail blaster.

The electro net was only able to disable a Zoid if it was aimed properly and actually hit the target. Leo's shot lacked both requirements, thus the shot turned into a wild rocket that only succeeded in shocking the nearest sand dune.

Leo swore and kept running. Leena's shots were coming much closer now. What she lacked in aim she made up for in sheer numbers. The Gun Sniper was barely visible under the cover of missiles and bullets. Didn't that thing ever run out of ammo?

Only two weapons left: the Strike Laser Claw, a weapon of close range combat (and Leo had no desire to come one step closer to that barbarian woman), or the Laser Vulcan Cannon. Leo whispered an apology to the Gun Sniper and rubbed his thumb against the cannon control. He could hear servos winding and energy flowing through the Shadow Fox as the gun swiveled around to the rear. Leo tried to keep one eye on the targeting display and the other on the path ahead of him.

The gun swung into position, then passed it. Leo quickly swung the gun back again, only to overshoot his target again. This thumb pad was too damn sensitive! "Help out here, Shadow!"

Leo never knew if the Fox would have answered his call for help. Perhaps it would have taken pity on him, or maybe it was still mad about the stains on its cockpit chair. Either way, it was the desert that decided Leo's fate. A malicious sand dune sprung up and grabbed the Fox's leg, yanking it down to the ground and holding it long enough for Leena to catch up.

"You can't get away from me now, pervert!" She trained the two cannons on the Sniper's claws on him. Leo wished for a cigarette and blindfold. It would have completed the execution scenario. Instead he closed his eyes and awaited the explosion.

A loud blast did shake his cockpit, but there were no alarms blaring or lights flashing within the cockpit. And it was Leena's scream that answered the resounding boom. Leo opened his eyes in time to see the Gun Sniper tilting over, a large ploom of smoke coming from its right leg.

Leo quickly maneuvered the Fox back to its feet and prepared to run again when he saw a flash of white on the rear monitor. Fang's cannons were still hot from the blast they'd fired. For a moment, Leo thought that Fang had once again regained full control of his body and come to help his partner. Then Brad appeared on the comm. screen.

"You okay?"

"Um… y-yeah." Leo said meekly.

"Get back to the hanger. _Now_." The edge in Brad's voice could have cut through the cockpit itself. Leo sighed and trudged the Fox behind Fang. Leena's curses followed them all the way back to the hanger.

Several hours later, Leo was back in the Blitz team's hanger, sulking. Brad had nearly shattered glass with the sound of his voice.

"Don't you _ever_ pilot my Zoid again! I can't believe what an amateur job you did! How could you put the Fox in danger like that? Do you have any idea how much damage Leena could have caused?"

Leo had done his best to completely avoid Leena as she returned to finish her shower and dress. He'd gone out again to bring in her Gun Sniper and repaired the damage to its right leg as a means of apology.

The leg hadn't been too damaged and only took a half-hour to repair. Brad had hit the support valve that held the Zoid up. One shot from Fang had crippled Leena's attack and saved Leo. That was perhaps the greatest wound of all.

All this time, Leo had thought that the main cause of his losses was Fang's outdated technology. All those missed shot, all those poor maneuvers. He'd always thought they'd been because of Fang. But Brad had proven him wrong. Even with poorly calibrated equipment, the Class S warrior had hit a precision shot; something that Leo never could have done.

Leo looked up at Fang, taking a break from installing new components; components that he now knew didn't make that big a difference. "I'm sorry, Fang. I'm sorry I'm such a lousy pilot. And I'm sorry I didn't admit this sooner. Everything's my fault."

A faint growl came from Fang. It was soft and unaccusing, and Leo knew he'd been forgiven.

"Still working?" Doc Toros had appeared on the service frame. He had a six-pack of beer with him.

"Yeah." Leo returned to updating his partner.

"We missed you at lunch."

"'We' as in you and Jamie?"

Doc shrugged. "Unfortunately, yes. Brad and Leena are still bent out of shape. I think you'll want to stay out of their way for a while."

"I was planning on it."

Doc sat down next to him. "Having second thoughts?"

"A few."

"I figured as much. You're not the first person we've hired as a mechanic. We tried one or two other applicants. Bit, Brad, Leena, and Jamie are all good with their Zoids but there are some things that they just don't know how to accomplish."

"What happened to the other grease monkeys? They catch Leena in the shower too?"

"Ha ha! No, but they did get put off by the way we operate. I know most teams try for order and cohesion, but we have a… different style. Everyone here does his or her own thing, and somehow it just all comes together."

"You're lucky." Leo grunted as he tightened a bolt. "Most teams I know would fall apart if they followed your style."

"You should see us in a battle. It's pretty fun to watch. Even Jamie and I don't know how the battle will turn out. We hardly ever get the others to follow Jamie's tactics." He pulled out a beer and handed it to Leo. "Here. Take a break."

"Thanks." Leo opened it and took a long slip.

"I've been meaning to ask you," said Doc, "where are you from?"

Leo tried not to think back to the dream he'd had that morning. "I… don't really know. I've been on the road most of my life. Just me and Fang."

"I see. A drifter just like Bit. He came to us as a loner and had a hard time fitting in as well."

Leo grimaced. "Did he get shot by Leena?"

"Still does. She gave him a good-bye explosion the day before he left."

"You serious?"

"Dead serious. I think that's why Bit is taking a prolonged vacation." He took a gulp of beer himself. "This is probably the most chaotic team in the ZBC, but it's a lot of fun to be in. Once you get past all the surprises, I think you'll like being here."

"You're assuming I'm going to stay for long. I'm here just long enough to get Fang fixed and learn a few new tricks. Then I'm going off on my own again."

"Still the loner?"

"Maybe. I'm just not used to being tied down."

"Well, we'll see." Doc stood up. "I have a feeling this team will grow on you if you give it a chance. You just need to spend some time with them." He stepped down the ladder and slid out of sight.

Leo glanced over to where Doc had been sitting. "Hey! You forgot your beers!"

"Keep them!" Doc's voice echoed from below. "That's another thing you'll need while you get used to our team."

Somehow, Leo knew that Doc was right.

Author's Note: Well, that's it for chapter 2. I'm not sure how fast I'll be posting chapter 3. I'm very bad about updating my stories.

In any case, I would greatly appreciate reviews and constructive criticism. Feedback is great motivation, and it lets me know people actually read my work. Thanks for reading Chapter 2!


	3. Power Shift

Battle Dawn

Chapter 3: Power Shift 

by Silver

Author's Note: I want to once again thank everyone who has read my story, and thank all of you who were kind enough to leave encouragement with a review. I hope everyone will extend the same courtesy for this chapter and let me know what you like and what I can improve upon.

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            War. It was such a causal term these days; used to describe insignificant actions. "Did you see that last match? It was total war!" "How about that one team? They're on the warpath!" Pathetic. War wasn't some game where a judge could tell everyone to stop fighting and play nice, nor was it a place where the weak could hope to gain glory. War was the struggle for power during which the inferior were weeded out and sacrificed to give glory those who possessed real power. 

            This battalion — arrayed for the most historic battle in the ZBC's history — was a true symbol of war. Every soldier resonated the tension felt by the whole, despite their attempts to hide their feelings. Each of them was keenly aware of their mortality. There would be no "Ready, FIGHT!" no time out, no calls on illegal activity. Anything was possible, including death. This was to be the first and most significant strike against the Backdraft Organization. These young people were making history; albeit not the history they currently imagined. 

            Every Zoid chosen for this mission was meant to symbolize the significance of this battle. The Gojulas units, towering saurian behemoths, had always been revered and feared as the Helic Republic's most powerful weapon. In one night, as single unit had turned the tide of war and driven back an entire Imperial platoon. Vaez had several at his command.

            In front of the Gojulas units stood a rank of Red Horns, royal Guylos command units used by offices. They had always been a symbol for the Empire's authority. And finally, the Command Wolfs and military-grade black Redlers. One had been a mainstay unit of ground warfare for centuries; the other ruled the skies for almost as long. Helic and Guyglos units united for a strike against a mutual foe. Such would be the case in the future, although the outcome would be very different from today. Today they would win the battle. 

            "Chairman Vaez?" Such a lovely ring to the title. 

            "Yes, Lieutenant?" 

            "All forces report ready. We can begin the attack any time you're ready."

            "Dawn breaks in five minutes. Tell everyone we will attack then." What better time to issue in a new era of war than at the first light of day? The sun had set on the era of Zoids Battles the minute he'd become the new ZBC Chairman, and a new day for Zoids warfare was about to burst forth and cover the land in its blazing light. But for Sen Vaez to fully appreciate the new dawn, he had to put one final relic in the past. 

            He stood before his own war mount, the Orudios. Its black chrome body blended with the dark sky while its white armor almost made it glow. It, like Vaez, was a mixture. It was a both of light and darkness, fact and fiction. The stallion it resembled had changed the course of history on Earth. Horses had enabled the eastern hemisphere to conquer and colonize the west; and horses had been a mainstay of war for many years. And the wings on the Zoid's back gave it the majesty of a fictional Terran creature, long revered and romanticized for its beauty. 

            Vaez, too, would become polar opposites. Today he was a leader for justice. Soon he would be a shadow stalker, preying upon society. Then a conqueror, hated and feared by his enemies. And once those enemies ceased to be, he would be the monarch of a new era: a true king.

            He climbed up into the Orudios' cockpit and settled into the pilot's chair. Most leaders preferred to stay safe at home while others fought for them, but that was only cowardice. A true leader exposed himself to danger so his subordinates would draw strength from his lead and fight harder. 

            The sun seemed lost for an eternity in the desert night. The timer on his consol moved excruciatingly slow. His palms grew sweaty and his mouth dry; not from fear of battle but impatience born from restraint. He forced a deep breath to calm himself. Eventually, the sun's rays arched over the sand dunes, causing Orudios' golden wings to shine like the blaze of a new star. As its light reflected off his army, he rejoiced that the time for war had finally returned to Zi. 

            "All units, attack!" 

            The Redlers soared in first, launching missiles from underneath their semi-transparent emerald wings and firing burst from the cannons mounted on their heads. The darkness of the dawning sky concealed them from any counterattack at the moment. The Command Wolfs, with their white finish, were far more visible as they charged, firing bursts of laser fire. 

            The Red Horns lumbered behind, providing shelling with their heavy mounted cannons and Vulcan guns. Vaez delighted in their blood red bodies and how the dawn light turned them ablaze. The Gojulas units, too boxy and cumbersome to advance quickly, remained behind and provided long-range shelling using shoulder-mounted cannons. The base, a small dome encircled with turret towers, vanished in a mixture of fire, smoke, and sand. Fires consumed the armor, and the turrets remained silent. 

            The debris from the first wave had yet to settle when the counterattack began. Small patches of darkness appeared the navy blue sky. A squadron of Zabats dropped bombs and fired missiles into the advancing force. The comm. chorused the panicked cries of those unfortunate enough to be targeted while the irregular beat of explosions timed the battle. 

            The tempo increased as a small set of simian Iron Kong Zoids appeared and began adding their own firepower to the battle. Some were mounted with Vulcans, others beam weapons. Their aim was impressive. Several Command Wolfs were struck down with critical hits to their Zoid cores. One mortar-launching Iron Kong took out a Red Horn and its pilot with one shot. 

            Next came the Dark Horns, the Red Horn's black cousin. They too were heavily armed and began tearing through the advancing forces. Count Umbra had spared no expense in his personal defenses. Nevertheless, his forces were grossly outnumbered. The base's defense relied upon the turrets to handle long-rang forces while the heavily armed Zoids dealt with the closer, weaker forces. With the turrets disabled, the Red Horns and Gojulas units were able to blast the defenders with little fear of retribution. 

            The Iron Kongs were the first targets of the Gojulas' onslaught. One burst struck a Kong's power core, causing it to explode from the inside. Another Kong lost its arm and its command system shut down. The Zoid itself slumped over as if it had passed out from the pain. 

            High above, the Redlers honed in on the Zabat squadron and brought them down with a barrage of machine gun fire. The Zabats made poor evasive maneuvers, providing nary a challenge to their rivals. The Count had not spent as much money on pilots and had thus relied on unmanned craft. Machines were not to be trusted with humans lives; his second big mistake. 

            Galloping forward in his Orudios, Vaez dodged a round of fire from one of the few remaining Dark Horns. Its mortar cannon fired shot after shot, yet none could touch him. Orudios weaved between the explosions so smoothly it seemed as though the Zoid truly was flying. Vaez grinned as the shots became more desperate; there was nothing like seeing your opponent panic. 

            When he was so close it seemed as if he'd actually challenge the rhino head on, Vaez skidded to left and allowed the desert sand to propel him to the side. Digging the right hoof into the ground, Orudios spun just enough that its hip-mounted cannons were aimed directly at the Dark Horn's side. It took several quick bursts, but the enemy Zoid eventually relented under Vaez's assault. The remaining forces had cleared through the other defenders, and the turrets had not fired a shot.

            "Sir," his Lieutenant's voice came from the comm. "all enemy Zoid pilots have either been killed or surrendered. We're also receiving multiple surrender signals from within the base."

            "Any of them from Count Umbra?" 

            "No, sir. In fact, one communiqué says that the Count has sealed the exits, preventing anyone from exiting the base. Sensors confirm that all doors are locked down, and the main gates are heavily reinforced. I don't think the Gojulas or the Red Horns have enough ammo left to punch through." 

            "Understood. Signal the troop carrier. We'll use ground troops to enter the base. Have the Zoid pilots cover the arrest of the enemy Zoid units."

            "Yessir." The comm. clicked off. Vaez then selected another frequency.

            "Pegasus to Shadow."

            "Shadow receiving." 

            "Creep from within and burst forth." 

            "Understood." Silence. 

            Vaez leaned back and smiled. His covert unit, specially selected and trained for this mission, would soon be inside the base, snagging one key member for his future. Just a little more time and soon the king would have all the pawns he required. But now the fun was over. Now he had to move faster than his own forces and locate the Count before anyone else. He _had to end things here, or his entire future might unravel._

            A modified hover cargo mounted a sand dune and pulled into place beside the enemy base. It's round hanger section had been replaced with a short cylinder equipped with several boarding ramps. The bridges spanned the gap between the cargo and the lip of the base's outer wall. ZBC soldiers poured out of the carrier and jumped onto the ledge, taking up positions along the doorways.

            Vaez signaled the troop commander. "Commander, hold the troops back until I join them. I wish to take part in this phase as well."

            "Sir, with respect, I must protest. We're fully capable of taking this base and it would cause you unnecessary risk to enter the enemy's ground."

            "Most of the enemy has surrendered. They're just waiting for us to open the doors."

            "True, sir. But that could be a ruse, and some might resist without surrendering."

            "Your concern is appreciated, Commander, but I'm still going. Consider this a professional courtesy. Count Umbra, head of the Backdraft is said to be hiding here. It would be disrespectful for anyone less than the Chairman of the Zoids Battle Commission to arrest him."

            "I doubt the Backdraft would be offended if you stayed back, sir. They're not big on manners."

            "True, but we of the ZBC hold ourselves to higher standards than the Backdraft. Trust me, Commander, I will be perfectly fine. Order your troops to wait."

            "Yessir."

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            The C.A.S. was incredible. It was beautiful. It was stubborn as hell. Well, actually just the bolts were stubborn. Leo grunted as he pulled back on the crowbar with all his strength, trying to force the damaged armor off the Jager unit. 

            The high-speed navy-blue armor was covered with scratches and dents. He found some twigs, leafs, and even broken eggs smeared on the armor and in the cracks. It took him a moment to remember the Royal Cup, when the Liger Zero Jager had plowed through a small forest to surprise Jack Sisco's Lightning Saix. It had been an intense battle that had all the audience gasping for air later, but now Leo couldn't help but feel sorry for all the birds who'd lost homes and offspring when a good chunk of their habitat was destroyed. 

            Still, it wasn't as if Bit Cloud had been _trying_ to uproot all those trees. He'd been focused on the battle and took it to the most extreme level of combat; even though that put both Bit and Liger Zero in danger. Of course, that left Leo with the task of cleaning up after him. Such was the fate of a grease monkey. And right now, that task was all the more frustrating thanks to an armor plate that absolutely refused to budge!

            "Come… on… you… stupid…" Leo's stomach growl almost drowned out the squeaking of metal. 

            "Jeez. I'm surprised your stomach doesn't rumble the whole Hover Cargo." Leo glanced up, and quickly yanked out the crowbar to step into a defense position. He hadn't seen Leena since the day before when he saw her… well, _saw her. _

            Now she stood in front of him (fully clothed) with a tray bearing a sandwich and some milk. Her expression didn't seem hostile, but she had a humoring look about her, as if Leo couldn't protect himself from her no matter how hard he tired. "Put that down. You look like a scared little kid."

            "You'd be scared too if you had a whole arsenal thrown at you the day before!" 

            Leena rolled her eyes. "Oh, quit being a 'fraidy cat and set down. You skipped lunch." She set the tray down on a nearby work bench. 

            Leo glanced from the food to Leena. "So… does this mean you're not mad anymore?"

            "I've forgiven you. Let's leave it at that. And I told you to stop looking so scared. If I wanted to take you out you'd be sprawled on the floor by now!"

            Leo conceded the point, sat down, and reached for the meal greedily. Then Leena's hand slapped his away. "Ouch! What was that for? I get it. This is torture for yesterday. You're going to torture me by not letting me eat!"

            "Will you listen to yourself? Your hands are filthy. You can't just eat food with those. Go wash up first!" Again Leo resisted fighting, especially when Leena was right. His hands were greasy and dirty from repairing and cleaning the armor units. He quickly rushed over to a small faucet and cleaned his hands, then returned to the meal and took it with a little more hesitance this time. 

            As he ate, Leena sat down next to him. "So, how's the work going?"

            "Okay. Schneider's all done, but Jager's taking a while. Armor's bolted down pretty tight. Guess it'd have to be with the speeds the Liger can reach. I haven't even started on the Panzer yet, but it didn't look too damaged." 

            Leena nodded, "Panzer could handle anything short of a Charged Particle Cannon Blast. But good luck trying to get the Panzer armor off. If you can't get the Jager to cooperate, then you'll never handle the Panzer." 

            "Gimme a break. This isn't easy you know."

            Another roll of the eyes. "Oh, please." Leena sat up and picked up the crowbar. She walked over, fitted the bar into the small gap Leo had started, then kicked. The bolts practically leaped out and the panel came flying off, skidding to a stop at Leo's feet.

            Leo stared down at the liberated armor. "Hm, humble pie. Guess that takes care of desert." He took another bite and enjoyed Leena's laugh. "You're a lot stronger than you look."

            "What's that supposed to mean? Don't think a girl can lift a few tons of steel?"

            "No. It's just that I wouldn't expect someone so slender to be able to do that. I thought only people who were built like a Gojulas could do what you just did."

            Leena's eyebrow's lifted. "Oh? You think I'm slender?" She leaned to the side and ran her fingers through her hair. "It's not easy being strong _and beautiful, but I somehow manage to pull it off."_

            "Too bad your humility stinks. You might win the next Ms. Zi pageant otherwise."

            "What are you implying?" Leena's voice carried venom.

            "NOTHING!" Leo stuffed his mouth before he shot it off again. Leena sat back down next to him.

            "It's funny you mentioned the Ms. Zi pageant. I've been thinking about entering someday. I'd be a guaranteed winner, right?"

            Leo withheld comment and decided to change the subject. "So you don't plan on being a Class S warrior for life?"

            Leena shook her head. "No way. This is just a start for me. Win fame as a Zoid Warrior, then launch my career using my already high profile as a platform!" She punched a fist in the air. "You're looking at the next supermodel of planet Zi!" 

            "Model?" Yeah, she was hot enough, Leo decided, but her temper and violence…

            Leena didn't register the surprise in his voice. "Or movie star. Or maybe even the wife of a big-time male model! When you're as skilled as me, anything's possible."

            She had confidence. Leo tried to look as agreeable as possible.

            "What about you?" asked Leena. "I know you don't want to be a mechanic for life. What are you going to be? Zoid warrior full-time?"

            Leo shrugged. "Haven't had the luxury to think that far ahead. I can't really think of anything else I can do that would involve my partner here." 

            Leena stood up and strolled beside Fang, who rested on one of the Hover Cargo's platforms. "I was wondering where your Zoid vanished to. Why'd you bring it in here?" 

            "I think Fang would be jealous if I did maintenance on another Zoid without him around. He's pretty insecure." Fang growled an almost inaudible protest. Leena didn't hear it.

            "You honestly think Zoids are that aware?"

            "You think they're not?"

            "No. Most Zoids I know stand around like statues until the pilot tells them to move. Bit's Liger Zero's the only one I've seen move on its own, and even it waits around for Bit to pilot it. I really can't see how you could think a Zoid would care what you were doing if you weren't piloting it."

            Leo frowned. "You mean the Gunsiper's never done anything out of the ordinary? It hasn't reacted to your commands in weird ways?"

            "No. Never."

            "When did you get it?"

            "Just last year. It was a custom job. State-of-the-art after the Backdraft's Elephander blew up my Dibison." 

            "What happened to your Dibison?"

            "I traded it in to buy the Gunsiper and have it outfitted."

            "You traded your partner???" Leo's jaw fell.

            Leena placed her hands on her hips. "Well what was I supposed to do? The Dibison was completely scrapped! You couldn't salvage a microchip from it."

            "But its core and battle data were all right?"

            "Yes."

            "Then it would have healed! In would have worked fine in time!"

            "Yeah, in a couple hundred years! Several seasons would be over by the time the Dibison healed itself!" 

            Leo hated it when people thought like that. Everyone was willing to wait for a family member or friend to heal up in a hospital, but there was no patience for a Zoid that was too hurt to move. Just sell them off and get a new one, like a car. He didn't want to be mad at Leena for doing such a thing, but it was hard to ignore. He also realized this was an argument that was neither winnable nor necessary.

            "So… was everything on your shiny new Sniper up to date?"

            "Of course." The danger in Leena's voice matched disdain of Leo's words.

            "A state-of-the-art Command System. Figures."

            "What do you mean?"

            Leo stood up and walked beside Leena. "I have no doubt that Zoids have a much stronger will than people realize. They're "warriors by nature," as some people call them; and that life requires a strong will. I think it's the Command Systems that suppress their wills so they're easier to pilot. It used to be that Zoids didn't accept pilots who couldn't draw out their full potential. And if a pilot abused his partner, it ran away. There used to be a ton of runaway Zoids in the wastelands. Now a runaway Zoid's an urban legend. The more advanced Command Systems become, the more we suppress the Zoids' wills."

            "'The Zoids' wills.' You sound a lot like my brother."

            "You have a brother?"

            Leena sighed and nodded. "Yeah, Leon. He used to be the leader of the Blitz Team until he got hurt in a match. Then Bit came along and took his place. Leon went off to see the world and become a better pilot, then came back with a Blade Liger and joined Naomi Fluegel's team. He's always talking about the wills of Zoids and their 'unlimited potential.'"

            "You don't sound all that convinced." Leo was pleased that the hostility had already left the conversation. Leena's mentioning of her brother had taken some of the rancor out of her.

            Leena said. "I've piloted two Zoids and neither one has ever acted like it had any other desires that to move however I ordered them. I know that, technically, Zoids are supposed to be alive, but I've never seen any Zoid— besides Liger Zero and Berserk Fury—act on its own."

            "So you're saying that only Ultimate X Zoids have a real will of their own?"

            "Yep." 

            "Hmm." Leo said, "Well, I can see where you might think that, but trust me when I say Zoids _do _have a will of their own. Fang's done some pretty amazing things so far."

            "Such as?"

            "He gave me a name. I doubt even an Ultimate X has done that." 

            Leena frowned. "Waitaminute. Fang _named you?"_

            "Yes."

            "And Leo was the best he could come up with?" That grin on her face showed she didn't believe him. No one ever did. He decided to change the subject.

            "So, you have a brother. Any other siblings?"

            Leena's grin widened. "Nice dodge. But Leon's my only brother, and I don't have any sisters." 

            "What about your mother?"

            Leena's face suddenly lost its tease and enthusiasm. She suddenly looked serious. It wasn't an expression that fit her face. "She… died… giving birth to me." 

            "Oh… I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

            "It's okay." Leena forced the happiness back onto her face. "It happened a long time ago. Don't worry about." 

            _Grroowwwlll__! A loud rumble shook the Hover Cargo's floor. Leo frowned. That sounded like a Liger's roar. _

            Leena didn't seem surprised. "About time. I was wondering when he'd get here."

            "Who's here? Is Bit Cloud back?"

            "No. Someone else. Actually, it's my brother." 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *          

            How could the glorious battle I envisioned come to this? Count Umbra asked himself for the hundredth time. The reality lay before him, cruelly simple and direct, yet he could not bring himself to accept it. The Backdraft Organization had come so close to claiming ultimate victory at the Royal Cup. Yet the defeat of Vega Obscura, coupled with the loss of the dark Judge satellite network, had robbed them of any gain and brought the Backdraft to the brink of oblivion.

            And now this. This strike at his hidden sanctum. How could the ZBC have found him all the way out here in the midst of a wasteland? And more to the point, how had they overpowered his defenses so easily? In his most honest moments, the Count knew that his Backdraft pilots were far from the cream of the crop. Most were recruited as failed Zoid Warriors and bandits who were looking to make it big. None of them were truly as skilled as many Class A warriors, hence the reliance on cheating devices. The Backdraft warriors liked to delusion themselves by thinking that the absence of rules was simply to increase the bidding by the Backdraft's constituents. While half-true, the lack or restrictions also worked in the Backdraft's favor, since its warriors would probably lose in a fair fight. 

            Yet this time the fight was stacked _against_ them. It was the ZBC that cheated by somehow disabling his turret defenses, thus stripping him of the core of his resistance. His defenders could not hope to repel the ZBC's superior forces without the guns. This fact, coupled with the speed of his detection, could only lead to one conclusion: betrayal. Someone within his immediate group had divulged the location of the base and disabled its defenses. 

             "Count?" his aid, Linda Hilbrant, said, "We should make our way to the hanger before the soldiers come. If we hurry, you can escape before the gain entrance."

            Yes, that would be wise. Digging out with the Guysack had saved him last time. But anyone skilled enough to leak information about the base and sabotage it without detection was surely thorough enough to disable his one true means of escape. He was trapped, and he did not want false hopes to make him a fool. 

            Never one to sit around and wait for something to happen, the Count set about the one task left to him. "Computer, online."

            A holographic screen materialized in front of him with an indicator flashing. "Computer ready. How may I serve you, Count Umbra?"

            "Display all access records for turret defense control and communication. Correspond by date and time." The data flashed before him with no obvious footprints. Perhaps he needed to narrow the search. Turret control had been working fine during the security check yesterday. Whoever had cut off the power had timed it well enough to avoid the security sweep yet not allow a single shot to be fired during the attack. A code had to have been used lest security detect a break-in. "Computer, list all turret control access from one hundred hours this morning. The data scrolled down, reflected in his black mirrored glasses.

            His aid continued to plead. "Count, please. You must escape now." 

            There it was. The evidence that implicated… himself. The Count's access code had been the last one used to open the door to turret control. But who could have-?

            "Count, _please!" The realization was almost numbing. _

            "Computer, list all dates and times for access by Count Luscious Umbra." There was indeed an access log using his code for the communications office two days ago. It had been for a secured outside line. Location unknown. No wonder such a communiqué had not been reported. Who would dare question the Count's activities? Or, rather, the person using the Count's code.

            He turned to regard Linda. She was tall and young, around her mid twenties. Her cinnamon hair was cut short and curved around her head ending at two points near her chin. Her black and red uniform was akin to a butler's, though she was far more invaluable as his personal attendant in his old age. Looking at her, it was hard to believe her history. He'd trained her almost her entire life. He'd trusted her implicitly. That was perhaps his greatest mistake.

            He took a few steps away from her. He needed distance to do what had to be done. He didn't bother to look at her as he spoke. "Linda, how long have we known each other?"

            "Over twenty years, sir. But I don't-"

            "Are you grateful to me?"

            "Of course, Count."

            "Why?"

            "Y-you saved me. You-"

            "I took you in." His voice became harsher with each breath. "I took you, a filthy beggar, off the street. I brought you into my home, fed you my food, and raised you like my own. I gave you a prominent position as my aid, a place of power that many coveted. You had more power than anyone could have realized, but I trusted you not to abuse it. I thought, above all others, that you were loyal."

            "I am!"

            "Do not insult me with more lies."

            "… Count… don't move." He finally looked at her. A gun trembled in her hands. "I mean this. Do not move, please." 

            But the Count did move. Holding up his walking cane, he leveled it accusingly at her. "You betrayed me. Me, your savior. I am the only reason you are alive; and you betrayed me." 

            "Count…" The gun shook even more fearfully.

            "You'd have died in a mud hole or a gutter, soiled, starved, and alone if it had not been for me. Who could have possibly won your loyalty against me?"

            "I am serious. I will shoot!"

            "Was it the Zoids Battle Commission Chairman? Sen Vaez can be very persuasive. I should know. What did he offer you? A new Zoid? Money? Power? A place within his cabinet?"

            "Sir…"

            "Or did he offer you the kind of service that only a man can offer a woman? Yes, I imagine that is the case. That was the one thing I never provided for you, wasn't it? That was the only thing that could sway you. I hope he was worth it."

            "I will shoot you if you do not raise your hands right now!"

            The Count finally acknowledged her words. "No, my dear. You will not shoot me." He caressed the carved beak at the hilt of his cane. Some of the finest and deadliest craftsmanship on Zi. "You will not shoot because it is not your nature. You are a betrayer, not a murderer. I've known you almost all your life and I know that you do not have what it takes to pull that trigger."

            "Don't challenge me." She pleaded. "Sen will-"

            "'Sen?' Dear girl, he didn't even tell you his real name and you think he cares what happens to you? You have been used by the one man closer to you than I. Think about that for the next few moments. It is a far greater punishment than anything I could have given you. Next to this, of course." His finger found the hidden trigger within the cane's beak. In a heartbeat, half the cane dropped away, revealing a barrel in its midsection. There was a loud crash throughout the room and when the smoke cleared Linda lay sprawled on the floor. A small hole had appeared in her chest and she heaved for breath as her eyes—now triple in size—scanned the room desperately. 

            "Goodbye, my Linda." He sighed. "You shall not ever betray me again." Out of respect for her service, he watched unflinching as the life drained from her face and her body went limp. She had served him well until this one event. He would have protected her beyond his death if only she had stayed loyal.

            He snapped his cane back into position, hiding the gun barrel, and moved towards the comm. "Commander, report."

            "Count, sir! We are being overrun. All Zoid units are down and many soldiers are surrendering. The few that are putting up resistance are falling back to the main hanger, but the enemy's numbers are too great. They'll be surrounded soon. Sir, I suggest surrender."

            "Meaning that you have surrendered already."

            "No, Count! I would fight to the last-"

            "This _is the last moment, Commander. You have surrendered, haven't you?"_

            "… Yes, sir." Loyalty was so cheap these days. Didn't young people believe in living and dying for anyone else but themselves? "I don't want my life to end here. If you give in, Count, they'll be lenient. They promised."

            "Of course. But then, you don't know what they originally planned, do you? So how do you know what their leniency will be? You may only get life in jail instead of an execution.

            "Sir! I highly doubt-"

            "I will leave you to discover your fate." He turned to comm. off.

            "Just so you know," a voice said from the doorway, "he'll probably get a maximum of sixty years. After all, he is the head of this outpost and ordered the counter attack. I'm sure the families of the soldiers he killed will want some form of justice." The man known to most as Sen Vaez stood in the doorway with a gun leveled at the Count's head. "A pleasure to see you again, Count. Drop your cane, now."

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Leo liked Leon from the moment they shared a powerful handshake. Leena's brother was very different from what he'd envisioned. Leo's mind had concocted an image of a berserker in a Blade Liger, running around and chopping up anything in his sights. Leon was not like Leena. He shared her violet eyes and her confidence, but he had a calm about him, a certainty that Leena lacked. And he kept good company.

            Naomi Fluegel was one of the most beautiful women Leo had ever seen. Her reddish-brown hair shined in the desert sunlight, and her athletic, thin body was all curves. Her piloting outfit, a cross between a cowgirl's clothing and a bikini, didn't hurt either.

            Leon smile resembled Doc's. "Leena mentioned you could use a little help in piloting a Zoid."

            "And aiming, and firing, and learning not to touch other people's stuff." Brad's emotionless persona hadn't betrayed any sign of resentment over Leo's stealing the Shadow Fox, but it was clear he hadn't easily forgotten. Still, he hadn't lunged for Leo's throat yet, so he had probably forgiven the debacle. 

            "Then let's start with a little target practice." Naomi held up a sniping rifle. "If you can aim with one of this, the big guns will be no trouble." She pointed towards a rock just off the base's paved grounds. Someone had hastily painted a bull's-eye across its face. "Try to hit that." 

            Leo frowned. "Wouldn't it be better if I got Fang first?"

            Naomi asked, "Who's Fang?"

            Leena sighed. "Leo has this weird habit of naming Zoids. He doesn't all the time."

            "That's not too weird. I call my Gun Sniper 'Big Red.'"

            "Well, you're pretty weird to begin with."

            "Oh really?" Naomi sounded amused. "If we want to discuss weird, why don't we take a look at your Gun Sniper with all its overdone components? Honestly, a Gun Sniper that doesn't actually snipe."

            "You wanna start something?" Leon and Brad held Leena back. "Let's see whose Gun Sniper's better!"

            "I thought we already determined that when I took you out in our last match. You didn't even land a hit, Leena."

            "Um," Leo didn't want to see where this catfight was heading, "anyway, shouldn't I get my partner out here?"

            "No. You can't aim a Zoid's gun until you really understand how to aim on your own."

            Leon nodded. "A Zoid draws its strength from its pilot. If you're unfocused, your Zoid won't reach its full potential."

            Leo didn't fully understand, but he picked up the rifle and aimed at the target. His first shot didn't even hit the rock. The next one was slightly better, although it barely struck within the target's rings. The final shot didn't improve upon the second. 

            "Wow." Naomi said. "I haven't seen shots that bad since my first battle with Bit."

            "You don't have to rub it in." Leo said as he reloaded. This was yet another reminder that the flaw lay with him, not Fang.

            "Not to worry. We'll fix your aim in no time."

            "I don't get what I'm doing wrong."

            "You're not _focusing_. Targeting is more than just pointing in the right direction. Isn't that right, Leena?" Brad and Leon dragged her away before she could answer. Naomi continued, "You have to feel the shot. Block everything else out. Nothing exists besides you and the target. When you obtain that focus, you release it by pulling the trigger and the bullet does the rest for you."

            Leo re-aimed and tried to drown out Leena's shouting. "Wait," Naomi wrapped her arms around him and placed her hands on the gun. "Try holding it like this." Now Leo really couldn't focus. He couldn't ignore the fact that a beautiful woman was rubbing up against him, or that she had her arms around him. He couldn't ignore Leena's fist connecting with his skull either.

            "Ow!" Leo was now sprawled on the floor. "What was that for?"

            "What was that blush for? You're here for target practice, not a testosterone high!" 

            "My, my. Jealous, Leena?" 

            "Are you kidding? Why would I be jealous about _you_ being all over _him_?"

            "Wadda mean 'him?' What's wrong with me?" 

            Naomi waved her hand. "Don't worry about it, Leo. Leena's a very poor judge in character. I happen to think you're very attractive, and I'm a wonderful judge of character. Right, Brad?" She glanced over her shoulder. Brad just shrugged, and for a moment disappointment melted Naomi's face. Then it was replaced with her usual cool exterior. Now that Leo thought about it, Naomi had been glancing a Brad a lot since they had arrived. What was wrong with him; ignoring the advances of a beautiful woman like Naomi? Too bad women always went for the brooding loners. 

            Leo stood back up and tried to mimic the hold that Naomi had showed him. Fortunately, everyone remained quiet this time, so Leo didn't have as much trouble aiming. His new shot struck much closer to the bull's eye; and the next was even closer. His aim bordered the bull's-eye but never struck it. Naomi and the others encouraged that his aim was improving. Everyone except Leena. 

            "If you take that much time to aim, you'll be hit without even taking a shot." That stung. Leo couldn't understand why Leena was so intent on beating him into a hole. She hadn't been this way in the Hover Cargo. Leo didn't like this Leena. 

            "At least he aims, Leena. You'd just blow up the whole area and still miss the target." Naomi smirked.

            "You wanna see how good a shot I am? Let's go! You and me, right now!"

            "I'll take you on anytime, but right now I'm here to help Leo. We've got several more rounds with the sniping rifle before we move on to the Zoid targeting. Now, you can either stay and offer support or leave and grace us all with silence. Either way, you'll be more help than you are right now." Leo couldn't believe how Leena withered away from Naomi's criticism. She didn't utter another word as Leo continued to fire at the target. He didn't hit once, but he did get a feel for the weapon.

            "Okay." Leon stepped forward. "Let's go see your Zoid." He and Leo walked into the Hover Cargo. When they were out of the group's earshot Leon said, "Don't let Leena get to you."

            "I'm fine with it."

            "I doubt that. I know how hard it is to admit you need help piloting a Zoid. I was in your position less than a year ago. When I left the Toros base, I participated in many battles as a freelancer. I lost more times than I'd care to recall and each loss chipped away at my confidence. There came a point where I hit rock bottom and lost all pride in my piloting skills."

            "So why are you still a Zoid warrior?"

            "Because once you've broken yourself down, you can accept your limitations and work to surpass them. You can only overcome your own barriers by seeing them, and you can only see them when you look at yourself with humility. Leena doesn't realize that yet. She still tries to build her confidence by comparing herself to others and trying to surpass them. She's still trying to strengthen herself by winning battles instead of learning from them."

            "Great. And I asked her to tutor me."

            Leon laughed. "She'll probably teach you how to dodge, although not intentionally. You'll learn by evading her shots. Stick with Brad, Jamie, and my Dad. They'll help you learn. Plus, Naomi and I are happy to help."

            Leo sighed. "Thanks, Leon. This means a lot to me. You're a good guy."

            "You say that now, but wait until _I_ teach you."

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            "You wouldn't deny an old man his walking stick, would you?" The Count was leaning on his cane far more than he needed to.

            "You're not that feeble. Drop it, now." Vaez motioned with his gun.

            "I'll fall."

            "Then be sure to land on your shoulder. For the last time: drop it." The cane clattered to the ground. "Now kick it over to me." The Count did as ordered. "I take it this is how you disposed of my informant?" Vaez nodded towards Linda's body. 

            "She threatened me and I defended myself. You don't seem too broken up over it. Weren't you two close?" He was being tested to see how well he kept his emotions in check. The Count was still prodding him after all these years.

            "She was a means to an end. Your end. She's served her purpose."

            "Very cold of you."

            "'Be cold and clear as the ice and patient as the soil. You cannot be rule planet until you learn from it.' You're first lesson."

            "Didn't I also teach you to respect your elders?"

            "Yes. And you taught me to weed out the weaklings so the strong may flourish. Which lesson am I to follow?"

            The Count sighed. "This is the second greatest shame I have felt because of you."

            "It was either join the ZBC or play your little games in the Backdraft. Given our current situation, I'd say I followed the better path."

            "Yes, a real mess this. I hear it was you, 'Chairman Vaez,' who suggested the creation of the Supper Satellite."

            "It was. Though I wasn't Chairman at the time."  

            "If you'd joined the Backdraft, then we wouldn't be in this situation, would we?" 

            "And do what? Play the bad boy and rack up gambling wins for a bunch of bloated, rich, bored pigs? What a mockery of our mission."

            The Count took a step towards him. "You still don't understand! The Backdraft's true goal was always to rule!"

            "By taking over Zoids battles?"

            "Yes! Zi is no longer won by warfare. The mob rules, and the Zoids Battles rule the mob. People will follow whoever supplies their entertainment. Rule the battles, rule the world!"

            "I own the ZBC itself."

            "And yet you answer to both Guylos and Helic. That is _not_ the goal our family has sought!" 

            "Patience. In time, I will gain even more power and claim the whole of Zi for our family. No matter how different our methods, our goal is one and the same. I will rule Zi in our family's name, and I will reap revenge upon those who wronged us." 

            The Count was silent for a moment, then chuckled. "'Sen Vaez.' I caught the meaning right away. Anyone with a knack for anagrams will discover the truth."

            "I doubt anyone will have that much free time. Soon Zi will be awash in news of the Zoids Battle Commission's success. Fortress and camp of the Backdraft shall be overturned and destroyed. Its soldiers will be tried, and the hidden figures in society shall be arrested."

            "News and truth are not always the same. What will really be happening?" 

            "Useless soldiers will be sacrificed to create pretence of victory, obsolete bases will be given over, and anyone who owes the Backdraft a debt will pay through jail time. Surviving Backdraft cells will strike with great revenge and put all cities and states on high alert."

            "And how will you take advantage of the situation?"

            "Isn't it obvious? I will be the one creating the situation. Using a pawn, I shall assume reign over the Backdraft Organization. It will be a war without end because I will be the puppeteer of both sides. Each side will strike at the other with the populace caught in the middle, crippled with fear." 

            The Count nodded. "And such fear will drive the independent city-states to seek protection. Protection that can only be given by Helic or Guylos."

            "But Helic and Guylos will not share the task. They will want those territories all for themselves. Tensions will build as arguments become more frequent, and eventually…"

            "War."  
            "Yes, very good. War will break out, and I will step in to claim victory."

            "With this fabled 'Queen' by your side?" 

            "Of course. She will be the base of my power. She will ensure that all serve me with complete loyalty." 

            The Count was again silent, taking in all that Vaez had said. "It is a good plan in theory, but there are too many variables. You dabble in things that you do not fully understand. Such ignorance will surely ruin you."

            "No. I will succeed. I have worked too hard to fail. Anything that comes up, I can adapt to meet and defeat it." 

            "I do not approve of your plan."

            "My plan does not require your approval. Merely your absence. You have another sidearm, correct?" The Count produced a small pistol from beneath is cape. "Excellent. Kindly shoot yourself with it."

            If the Count was scared or startled, he didn't show it. "I beg your pardon?"

            Vaez explained just as he'd rehearsed. "People will be too busy to analyze my name, but it won't take much to discover the link between you and myself, and from there someone could find out our history. In order for my plan to succeed, you cannot be alive to alter its future. I cannot kill you. Even the most basic autopsy would reveal that I fired the gun, and an investigation would find the truth. In order to remove you from the equation while protecting myself, you must take your own life."

            "And why would I do that?"

            "'No sacrifice is too great for our family to regain its place in the world.' You told me that every day of my life since I was an infant. It was your idea of comfort the day my father died. Will you ignore your own teachings?"

            "Already your plan begins to break down. Its success depends upon my compliance. You have no way of guaranteeing my cooperation."

            "On the contrary. I know you will do this. You and I are the last of our family, and you just killed my most current option for producing an heir. The Backdraft is broken; your plan has failed. The burden now falls to me. If I fail, then our family ends here and we never accomplish our dream. Will you place your life above the mission that is rooted so deeply in our beliefs? Will you ignore all that you taught me? I think not. No, Grandfather, I don't think you'll forsake all that for fear of dying. You will pull that trigger to ensure our future, even if you will not be a part of it. I know you will."

            He let the silence hang between them. Muted explosions and gunfire sounds seeped through the walls, announcing the approach of the ZBC soldiers. Time was short and the Count knew it. He had to make his decision, the only decision that he could possibly make.

            Finally, the Count said, "You always were good at scripting out conversations. There is a hanger beneath this base. I have stored a small contingent of new Zoids. They're light weight and not much good against forces like the one you have brought down upon me, but I'm sure you'll find some use for them. The access is through that doorway." He nodded to a wall.

"You're donation is appreciated. Now hurry. We don't have much time." 

"I'll be watching you alongside your parents and our ancestors. Don't disappoint us."

            "I promise; you will not regret your sacrifice."

            There was nothing left to say. No words of love or comfort. No goodbyes. The mission was all that mattered. In one swift motion, the Count pressed the pistol to his temple and pulled the trigger. With a loud crack, he slumped to the floor.

            Vaez inhaled the moment. Now it was just him. No more lectures or teachings. Now he put his life-long training to work. He awaited the arrival of his subordinates, and prepared to put on the best performance of his life thus far. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            "Twelve O'clock!"

            _Bam!_

            "Nine O'clock!"

            _Boom!_

            "Five O'clock!"

            Leo wasn't sure what time it was anymore. He wasn't sure how long this drill had gone on either. He was finally inside Fang, surrounded by a circle of stones. The one before him was Twelve O'Clock, the one behind was Six. Leon's voice bellowed times for Leo to strike, and his body was begging to take more effort than his mind. 

            "You now know the basics of aiming," Leon had said, "it's time to learn to aim at a moment's notice. You have to focus, aim, and fire in a split instant or your enemy will get the first shot in. If you can bulls-eye these targets without thinking, then you'll have mastered this exercise." Fang was forbidden from movement. Only the laser turret on his back could swivel to find the targets. That wasn't good news, since Fang's censors and calibration were still offset. 

            Leo shook his head and remembered Leon's berating when he made that excuse. "If you're aware of a weakness, then you can compensate for it! If you know the sites or off, then adjust your aim to be off center! The two errors will cancel each other out." Good theory. But there was no compensating for Leo's aim. Each shot reminded him of how far he had to go before he was truly broken and could rebuild himself into a better warrior. Each shot hit his heart, even though it missed the bulls-eye every time. One wrong shot; a crack. Two missed shots; a small fissure. Three shots gone and now his heart felt so heavy it might fall out of his chest. 

            How much longer do I have to lose? thought Leo. When do I become a real pilot? 

            "That's enough." Leon said. "We're going to do one more exercise for today."

            "Okay…"

            "You alright?"

            "… No. Not really."

            "Good. That means you're taking this seriously."

            Leo didn't know if he should laugh or cry. "It's good that I feel terrible?"

            "Don't misunderstand. I know how unpleasant it is to struggle with training. Believe me, it hurts some days. But I also want you to believe me when I say that you'll grow from this experience. Some days you'll wear your shame like a badge of honor-"

            "I don't want a stupid badge of honor!" 

            "Other days you'll fight better than you used to and feel a great satisfaction from it."

            "Are we talking about you or me? 'Cause this sounds an awful lot you're your autobiography."

            "Anyway, let's move on to the last session."

            "Are you listening to me?" The silence answered for him. What good was complaining if no one was listening? 

            Fang slumped down the ridge from where he'd been practicing. Leon's Blade Liger waited below. The desert heat, mixed with the Liger's bright red color scheme, made it look afire. The twin golden blades lining its back looked especially sharp and threatening. Leo fell into a romantic dream about piloting a Liger such as that. Blade Ligers had won a place in history by defeating the Deathsaurer, twice. Not to mention they were some of the most well-balanced Zoids in all of Zi. 

            But piloting a Liger meant letting go of Fang. No way chance of that. Leo focused on the present and his true partner. 

            Leon's Blade Liger began to move away. "This final part is an obstacle course. Jamie's set up a flare ten kilometers south of here. You have to reach that flare before you're disqualified."

            When no further explanation came, Leo asked, "And how will I be disqualified?"

            Leon's Liger had vanished. "You'll see. Just start running." 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Author's Note: Count "Umbra" is a name I came up with. It was never mentioned in the show or any fan page. So far as I know, the Backdraft Count was never named. "Umbra" is Latin for shadow. Seemed fitting for the leader of the Backdraft Organization.

            I was very uncomfortable with the idea of killing the Count. I don't usually like it when people kill off a TV character in a fan fic. unless it is vital to the story. You should have seen me react to some of the Star Wars novels that came out over the last few years (Chewie! NOOO!). 

            I also realize that it might be difficult to have Leo and Leon appear in the same setting. Their names are so similar that it's easy to mix them up (and miss them in a proof-read). However, I named my character Leo for a reason and I hope it will make sense in the future. Please bear with me and watch for the next chapter. 


	4. The Higher Ups

Battle Dawn

Chapter 4: The Higher Ups  

by Silver

            Author's Note: I'll start off this chapter by thanking three very kind people who left reviews for the last chapter:

            Tremor3258- One of my most faithful readers who always has a question or observation that makes me think more about the story I am writing. 

            Darkleena- Another faithful reader whose eagerness for the next chapter keeps me motivated. 

            Deity of Sorrow- Despite the depressed-sounding pen name, the last review made me laugh out loud. I was taken completely off-guard. It's one of those reviews that just makes me go "huh?" It was a real joy to read. 

            I'm still getting over my ego when it comes to this fic. I did pretty well in the Digimon fan fic circle and had a lot of reviews at first. I keep forgetting that Zoids fans aren't necessarily Digimon fans as well, so I'm really starting from scratch. I'm grateful for any reviews, constructive criticisms, and encourage I receive from my readers. I can't thank everyone by name all the time, but each review is a big boost to my enthusiasm. 

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"A terrible tragedy, sir. I know he was the enemy, but-"

            "I understand your feelings, Commander, but you need not feel blame for what has happened. Count Umbra chose to take his own life rather than see his power totally collapse. Neither you nor I could have prevented him. Do not take responsibility for someone else's mistake. There's more than enough guilt in the world to go around without taking on more."

            "Yes, Chairman Vaez. Thank you, sir." 

            "Now, pull yourself together and oversee the transport of the prisoners. The ZBC courts are going to be very busy in the next few months. The sooner we get these people back to justice, the sooner we can claim victory."

            "Sir!" The commander clicked his heels and headed for the door. "Uh… Chairman?"

            "I know, Commander. I was the only person present to witness the Count's suicide. Naturally, there will have to be an investigation. Have no fear; that shall take place shortly."

            "Yessir." The door slide shut.

            Stepping over to the wall the Count had previously indicated, Vaez scanned its surface. As a final act of spite, Count Umbra had neglected to tell him where the switch to the door lay. After five minutes of fruitless searching, the purpose of this challenge became clear. Grandfather was trying to sabotage Vaez by demolishing his confidence. How could he rule Zi if he couldn't even open a door? Such tests had marked over half Vaez's life. 

            He'd past those tests, every one of them. He would not be thwarted now. The switch had to be in the room, although where was anyone's guess. Count Umbra had trusted no one. He would never hide the door trigger where it could be easily found. Under the desk, behind a bookshelf; these were far too obvious a hiding place. 

            Vaez took a deep breath, trying not to hear his grandfather laughing at him from the beyond. Stop laughing, Grandfather! This is your fault! 

Another breath. Losing control now would only validate Grandfather's doubts. "Focus on what you know of your enemy, then use that knowledge as your weapon." How odd that the man who had given Vaez this challenge was also the one who provided the tools to overcome it. 

_The Count trusted no one._  Anyone with that lack of trust would keep all precious items near him… Vaez regarded the Count's body, now surrounded by tape to mark his position after falling. The morticians would arrive soon to take him for autopsy. Vaez regarded the cane he'd used to kill Linda. The eyes of carved hilt looked strangely separate distinct from the rest of the cane. 

            Picking up a tissue from the table, Vaez knelt down and wrapped his finger in the cloth. He gently pressed the eye of the cane, careful not to move anything too far from where it lay lest it tip off the investigators. The eye yielded under his pressure and snapped into the hilt. 

            With an almost silent click and swish, the door slid open. Vaez stood back up and the cane's eye returned to its original position. 

            "Nice try." Vaez smirked at the corpse and entered the doorway just as it began to close. 

            A long dark tunnel led him further underground, farther than he would have deemed possible. But such was the wealth of the Backdraft. Only someone with a vast sum of zenny could dig this far down and then build a base atop the cavern. He emerged into a dimly lit hanger, where an army waited for him.  

            They stood at perfect attention, roughly a hundred and fifty in all. A nearby computer displayed all the information and programming for these units: the Diloforce. These Zoids were the embodiment of Backdraft tactics. Small, lightweight, and therefore easy to produce and maintain. They were lightly armored to best serve as cannon fodder while relying on superiority of numbers to win the battle. A Diloforce unit was faster and stronger than a Demantis or Maccurtis, and possessed a superior artificial intelligence to those of the Zabats. It was possible for a pilot to hang off the Zoid's back, but without any form of protection. Pilots were harder to find than Zoids, thus the need for the AI.

            Worthless. What good was such a force to Vaez? Tiny units like this were not needed in the war he planned. He needed Zoids that would strike terror in the populace. The amber fan encircling their necks and their oversized claws were comical; and the tiny blasters in their mouths and the crimson blades retracted at their upper thighs were no serious danger to an enemy army. They were so thin one bite from a liger could snap them in two. Such stubby arms. Couldn't even pick up a person with those. 

            What did you want me to use these for, Grandfather? Is this another of your endless tests? Do you intend to haunt me from the grave! Another damn test. Find a use for this gift or admit the Count created something Vaez couldn't use and confess that he was not the master strategist he thought himself.

            Well, Grandfather was wrong. He would find a use for these units, even if they had no plausible role in his army… He'd use them in a test of his own. A test for the woman whom he planned to claim as his queen. Yes, these units would both bring out his queen's power.

            Vaez opened a map file on the computer and keyed in coordinates for the Toros Base, home of the Blitz Team. This attack would be understandable since it was the Blitz Team that ruined the Backdraft's goals for the Royal Cup. Anyone could dismiss this as a final act of retaliation by the Backdraft, until the next attack. He could hear his grandfather's laughter subside as he keyed in the commands to all the Diloforce. Destroy the base and any Zoid units contained therein. Destroy any Zoids encountered en route. With luck, such an attack might even drive the Blitz Team into further financial debt, making Leena Toros all the more grateful when Vaez swooped in to save her from a mundane life. 

            At the push of the enter button the Diloforces' eyes blazed red and they rose from their statue-like slumber. The hanger doors retracted and the units took off with surprising speed. Given the angle of the launch tunnel, they would emerge well outside the ZBC's range. He had no doubt that he'd never see these Zoids again. The Blitz Team was far too powerful to lose to such a weak force, but he could somehow reap the benefits of this attack. It would all work out in his favor. Grandfather would never laugh again.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Memories were such portable things. Even with their intensive impact, they could be transported in small items that could all fit in one briefcase. Ex-Chairman Hancock's office was filled with memories, and now he was packing them all away. 

            Medals, photos, trophies; all carried significance of a time now lost to him. He did not begrudge the members of the ZBC council for stripping him of his role. Perhaps he could have done more to curtail the Backdraft's operations. Yet not matter what shortcomings he might be guilty of, he couldn't help but lament the loss of a major part of his life. He'd worked his way up from the bottom of the Helic army with the goal of becoming ZBC Commissioner and Chairman of the committee. To lose it now was a painful reminder that men of his age were being phased out by a younger crop. He had no doubt that many of his friends and colleagues would soon be packing up their own memories and leaving for an unknown future. 

            _Knock, knock._

            "Come in." The door slide open and Colonel Richard Paris stepped inside. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, sir."

            Hancock smiled. He'd always liked Paris. Despite different military backgrounds, they were cut from the same cloth and he'd hoped that Paris would be elected his successor. Vaez was an impressive officer for having risen the ranks even faster than Richard, but he did not possess the same qualities that Hancock saw in his protégé. In all truth, Hancock wondered if Vaez was trustworthy with all the ZBC's power. Surly a youth of twenty-five did not appreciate the reigns of power. "There's no need for formalities, Richard. I'm not with the Zoids Battle Commission anymore."

            "Sir, you'll always be my commander. I still say the tribunal should have kept you as Commissioner." 

            "And I say they should have given the job for you." He produced a small bottle of scotch from a nearby cabinet. "Join me in a toast?" Richard took a poured glass and held it up with Hancock. "To a life well lived and a thoroughly enjoyable career." They drank.

            "Sir, you're talking as if your life is over."

            Hancock sighed. "In a way it is. The ZBC was my life. No time for wife or children and all that. I think that might be my biggest regret."

            "But your life _isn't_ over. Doesn't the Helic army have a position ready for you?"

            He scoffed. "Some glorified desk job. I'll probably be stationed at the Helic military museum, next to the other relics. It's happened before. My predecessor faded away into some obscure outpost and I never heard from him again. I don't want that life, Richard. I want to spend my final days feeling like I'm still working for a future, even if I don't live to see it."

            Richard turned his glass in his hands. "And… you don't trust Sen Vaez to build a future?"

            Hancock arched an eyebrow. "We'll see. He's ambitious, I'll give him that. And he knows how to sway the tribunal. But I don't think he respects his peers. Every time I've met him it seems as though he were sizing up everyone around him, and none could compare. He's even gone off on a Backdraft raid without permission or giving a full briefing to the Committee. He'd better come back with a big victory or his success might be short lived."

            "That might not be a bad thing. I-" Richard stopped when Hancock held up a hand. He reached under his desk and pressed a small red switch. The room radiated a faint buzz that made Hancock's ears shake. In all the years he'd been ZBC Commissioner, he'd never needed to use his dampening device. That he needed it now was a sign that times were indeed changing. 

            Richard looked understandably confused. "Sir, what is this?"

            "A jamming field. I had it installed my first day as Commissioner. We sweep for bugs frequently, but it never hurts to be a little paranoid, especially when so many people want your job. Let's keep this short." He turned the field off. "Yes, very interesting, Richard. I'm sure you and Vaez will get along just fine." He tried to make his tone as casual as possible. "You haven't told me what's next for you."

            "Well," Richard always was a quick study. He matched Hancock's tone. "I'll keep working on the Buster Eagle project. Although, if the Backdraft truly is finished we might not need to complete the prototype. I suppose I'll-" He stopped when the field came on again.

            "Tell me what you really think of Vaez." Hancock's voice carried the need for brevity. 

            "I think he's a threat. He has half the ZBC in his pocket and can easily buy off a good many more. He's already promoted several questionable officers, and he's suggested recruiting some unwanted members of the Helic and Guylos army. He has too much free reign. I'm worried that he'll rule the ZBC like a tyrant and quickly steal power away from anyone who can oppose him."

            "Including yourself?"

            "Yes, sir." 

            Hancock reached into a drawer and presented Richard a piece of paper. "That's just what I wanted to hear. You've always been a good soldier, Richard. I have no doubt that you'll do the right thing." He deactivated the field just as another knock at the door sounded. He glanced warily at Richard before calling, "Come in."

            A short man, rivaling Hancock in age, stood in the doorway, smiling broadly. His dress suggested that he was a member of the upper class, although his coat and suite were grossly out of fashion with the local elitists. His smoky gray hair was combed tight against his scalp, and his grin etched a few curves in an otherwise smooth face. Hancock had never seen this man before, and that apparently made both men wary.

            "General Hancock, a pleasure to meet you. I am Kenneth Gray."

            "Hello… I don't believe we've had the pleasure. This is my friend, Richard Paris." 

            Mr. Gray nodded to Richard, but focused on Hancock. "Indeed this is the first time we've had the chance to meet. I am here to offer you an invitation to a new position; one that might interest you more than any role the Helic army could provide. However," he regarded Richard, "I would like to discuss this in private." 

            Hancock nodded. Right now, a new prospect sounded like a gift from Zoid Eve herself. "Richard, would you excuse us for a moment?" 

            "Of course, sir." Richard saluted and left. The note he'd received was now safely tucked in his pocket. 

            As soon as the door closed, Gray stated his proposal quite bluntly. "How would you like to change the future of southern Europa?" 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Richard Paris slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. He hadn't expected the General to go through all that cloak-and-dagger exercise. In all the years he'd studied under the General, he'd never seen the older man act like that. Richard was by no means a coward, but he didn't approve of acting in the shadows. That was something for the Backdraft, not an officer of the Zoids Battle Commission. And yet he had denounced the new Commissioner under the shroud of a dampening field. Not very extroverted behavior. Such an act left him winded and more than a little worried. 

            After taking a moment to compose himself, he sat on a nearby bench and read the note the General had given him. 

Dear Richard, 

            I had hoped to give you this letter as a former Chairman to his successor. Sadly, Sen Vaez had ruined that dream. Yet I feel that what I am about to convey to you will better serve the Zoids Battle Commission, and perhaps the whole of Zi, in your hands rather than Vaez's. What I have for you is a weapon that can be used against Vaez should the need ever arise. But realize that the subject in question is far more precious to me than any mere tool. 

            I should start with what is perhaps the most bizarre fact. I have a niece: Celica Lucraft. She'd my sister's daughter, and someone you want to keep as an ally. 

            Even as a little girl, Celica wanted to follow in my footsteps and join the Helic army; but her mother wouldn't allow it. She said that one military family member was enough. Celica is a prodigy, smarter than anyone I know, including those several times her age. The girl's studied and learned more in her short life than I have in perhaps my entire career. My sister didn't want her to "squander" her gift on a life in the military. Celica went to college and I thought that was the end of the matter.

            Then Celica showed up in my office one day, dressed in full uniform and ready for duty. She'd done what I thought was impossible: hacked into the Helic database and enrolled herself in the military as a Lieutenant assigned to my staff. I had security do a conventional sweep and they completely missed her entry. I still don't know how she did it.

            Having no ties within the army besides myself, Celica became invaluable as a sort of spy, ferreting out any loathsome figures in the military. Whenever I suspected wrongdoing or abuse, Celica would arrange a transfer to the unit in question, discover their secrets, and provide me the means to shut them down. Then all record of her being a part of that unit ceased to exist. She was a ghost, ferreting out the sexual predators, entrepreneurs, and thugs that tarnished the army's reputation. 

            When I became ZBC Chairman, she came with me and performed the same service. I feared that my fall from power would rob her of this critical role, but I was glad to realize I could entrust her services to you. Celica can be your eyes and ears. She can find out all of Vaez's secrets and thus allow you to be one step ahead of him. Should the need ever arise to block Vaez, I'm sure you will find a way to do so. 

            Celica can aid you in gather information and put you in touch with the right people to aid this cause. But be cautious. This is my final precaution as ZBC Chairman. It is my fervent hope that you never need to act against Chairman Vaez and put neither your future nor my niece's in jeopardy. 

She's already hacked her transfer into your Buster Eagle division and will meet you at 16:00:00 this afternoon. You can decide your future from there. I trust you, Richard. Good luck.

                                                            Your comrade and friend,

         Arthur Hancock. 

            Richard stuffed the note back in his pocket and resumed his reliance on the wall. Use a hacker—the General's _niece_—to spy on Sen Vaez? What could he possibly do with that information? It was absurd. It was treasonous. It was not the reason he'd joined the ZBC! 

            "What we do in life is rarely what we plan. A true human being accepts whatever card fate deals and faces the future with an open mind and eyes." That was one of the first lessons the General taught. It had been a guiding factor in Richard's career and had led to his placement in the Secret Development Division. 

            Okay, General. I'll meet your niece and see where the future takes me. Gods of Zi know that I can't see how the future is shaping right now. 

            Richard never got to see the General after the meeting. He later heard that the General had gone with the strange representative to the hanger bay, where a Storm Sworder and pilot waited. The General had boarded the aerial Zoid and taken off for parts unknown. His mysterious envoy had remained behind and was looking for passage back home. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            He'd been running. Which was odd since he hated to run. It built up the wrong muscles. Not enough upper body strength to impress his allies and intimidate his foes. But he'd been running for a purpose. Now what was it? Something about gunfire and lots of people. They were all running and shouting, and he'd been trying to get away.

            There were people here now. They were talking, not shouting; and there was (much to his relief) no gunfire. The funny thing was that these faceless individuals were much taller than he, and they walked at an angle so that he could see their chins quite clearly. A bright set of lights above nearly blinded him and obscured everyone else's face in shadow. He was cold, and his arms and legs wouldn't move when they told him too. His chest hurt and something in the back of his mind said that wasn't a good sign. 

            Slowly his understanding of the world returned. He was cold because he was naked; something he definitely didn't allow around strangers. And his arms and legs wouldn't move because they were held down by restraints. The lights turned down, but the people's faces were still hidden by masks. Surgical masks.

            Naked. Shackled. Surgeons. And a lingering pain on his chest. Definitely _not good. _

            "Who are you?" was what he meant to say. It came out as, "wuff ebb uuggh?" His mouth was stuffy and limp. No one seemed to notice his question save one individual. 

            "Ah, Commander Alteil. Finally awake." Another figure bled from the shadows. He was tall and young; dressed in the tan uniform of a Zoids Battle Commission officer with purple strips hanging from the shoulders. The light shone off his cinnamon colored hair and added a gleam to his steel blue eyes. Judging from the confident walk and pose, this was the man responsible for his capture. It was all returning; the flight from the ZBC troops, the black-clad men who seized him from the dark and shot something into his neck. Now Alteil lay at the mercy of this man in a… Zoids Battle Commission Chairman? For someone so young, that could only mean… 

            Alteil found his voice. "You're Sen Vaez!" 

            "Very good. A quick study I see. You'll need that."

            "For what?" 

            "To rule the Backdraft, of course. I see from that dumbfounded expression on your face that you can't grasp what I'm offering you: the chance to fulfill your ambitions." 

            "W-why are you offering me leadership?"  
            "I can't rule on my own; not publicly at least. I think people would find it a little odd if the ZBC Commissioner was also the leader of the Backdraft Organization."

            The situation was forming a little too quickly to be safe. Alteil huffed. "So you need a pawn. Why not use Count Umbra?"

            "He's dead."

            "WHAT?" The Count dead? No… The Count was the base of the Backdrafts power. All his contacts, his seemingly bottomless well of funding. How could Alteil possibly fill the void on his own? He'd dreamed of building his own power base to the point where he could succeed the Count, but he was nowhere near ready! 

            "Don't look so panicked." said Vaez. "I wouldn't send my puppet on to the stage without all the strings ready to support him. All the Count's money shall be mine, and I shall pass it along to you."

            "Why?"

            "I told you: I cannot be seen as the Backdraft's new leader. You shall rule the Backdraft and I shall rule you."

            "And why should I let you 'rule' me?" 

            That smirk was getting irritating. "You're hardly in a position to negotiate, but I'll humor you. For starters, you will run the day-to-day business of the Backdraft. I will only step in when I need something done. Secondly, you have more power than anyone other than myself. You can strike from the shadows, arrange illegal matches-"

            "Almost all the dark Judges are gone." 

            "Then you'll have to adapt. And, most importantly," he produced a small cylinder from his pocket, "if you don't follow my orders, I'll do this." 

With the push of a button, Alteil's heart clenched. Gasping for breath, he looked around furiously, searching for a sign of what was attacking him. His body broke out in a cold sweat as every inch of his being screamed in terror. He was dying, and he had no idea why. His breaths became shorter as the world dimmed. 

And then it stopped. The vice on his heart eased and his breathing slowly returned to normal. Eyesight cleared, revealing that damned smug grin on Vaez's face. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" Alteil screamed as soon as he was able. 

Vaez nodded to the gathered surgeons and the scar on Alteil's chest. "These are some of the foremost nanosurgeons in Zi's shadow world. They specialize in ensuring loyalty. In this case, they've attached a small device to your heart, just at the top of the aorta. With the push of a button, I can stop the flow of blood to your body and kill you in minutes. The device is attached to your heart at an almost cellular level, so don't bother thinking about how you'll get it off. It's even harder to take out than to attach."

"You bastard!" Alteil struggled in his braces. "I'll kill you!" He'd never known a hate as deep as now, not even against Sarah. 

"Fine." Vaez motioned to the gathered assembly and several members unshackled Alteil. The links were barely released before he lunged forward, knocked the silver death stick away and clenched Vaez's neck. That smirk didn't vanish even as Alteil crushed the air out of him. 

"If I die… so will you…" Vaez gasped. 

"I can handle a few surgeons." Alteil grinned as the man's eyes started to roll back.

"No… die… from this…" He opened unbuttoned uniform, revealing a scar similar to Alteil's.

Reality struck cold. "You didn't…" He released his grip for fear of his life. 

"I did." Vaez gasped, still mocking with a smirk. "Your device is set to cut off your blood-flow by default. It's only the continual laser signal from a device next to my own heart that keeps you alive. Thanks to some transmitters I set up in advance, you don't have to worry about being out of range. But if I die, the link will sever and you'll die shortly after my last breath. Still want revenge?"

Alteil clenched his fist, shaking with rage a foe he couldn't strike. Vaez continued, "If I suspect even the slightest betrayal from you, I'll shut off your device. That button I pressed is a signal jammer specially attuned to block my own. I'll be fine if the signal is cut, but you won't do so well." 

Defeated and now assuredly broken, Alteil asked, "Why me?"

"You're the most logical choice. You're the type who'd step in and pick up the Count's lost power should the Committee of Seven fall. Everyone in the Backdraft knows you and they shall return to your side because of that familiarity."

"I wasn't always liked."

"No. But even your opponents will be desperate for a leader. You can go back to having rivals once you are assured of your security. Trust me, it'll work out." 

"… fine. I agree to your terms." 

"I wasn't asking for your concurrence." Meaning the bastard never really intended for Alteil to have a choice. "Now get dressed. I want you to start searching for the Backdraft members who escaped ZBC detection."   
            "And just what will _you be doing?" _

"Me?" Vaez said innocently. "Why, I'm going to go watch a show." He melded into the shadows.

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            Author's Note: Whew. Setting all this stuff up sure is taking a while. There's a lot to do before I can really get to the meat of this story. I kept this chapter intentionally shorter so I could focus on what people are doing in the upper ranks. Next chapter features the return of some old and unfriendly faces. Until next time! 


	5. The Return of Bit Cloud

Battle Dawn

Chapter 5: The Return of Bit Cloud

by Silver

Author's Note: Many thanks once again to all who have ready my story, and special thanks to those of you who chose to leave a review. I appreciate all the support. I also want to thank ChrsDude for proofreading this chapter to catch my spelling mistakes. I'd be dead without a spell-check and a proofreader.

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            Should have brought a book, Leo hummed to himself as Fang strode along, or maybe some music. Despite his initial uncertainty, boredom had set in after running only half a kilometer with Fang. Where was everyone? Leon's disappearance had been so sudden Leo had feared the next session, but perhaps all they had planned was a test in speed. 

            Well, too bad. Fang wasn't a Lightning Saix and thus Leo was in no hurry to reach the flare at the end of the unofficial course. He stifled a yawn and tried to stay focused. 

            "Yawning will cost you." The sand near Fang's paws flew up in a spray of fire and smoke. Leo yelped and veered to the left, away from the blast. A dark-gray figure, almost as dark as the afternoon shadows, ran beside him. Its silver multi-barrel cannon was already trained on him. 

            "Brad?" 

            "Yep." A video display popped up beside Leo's head, displaying Brad's cool grin.  "Payback time for swiping the Shadow Fox."

            "WHAT? I thought you'd forgotten about that already."

            "Now what gave you that idea? I never said anything about forgiving or forgetting. Time to pay the reaper, Leo. Better watch yourself." The Shadow Fox leaned in and sprang towards Fang, its claws shining golden. "Strike Laser Claw!" Leo ducked Fang under the blow and moved as far right as he could without tripping. Brad was back at his side sooner than he believed possible. 

            "Not bad. You dodged my first shot. But you wasted too much energy in the dodge. Once you were clear of my blow, you should have straightened up and sprinted on the straightaway. You spent too much time and speed pulling to the side. Now, where were we?"

            The Vulcan laser cannon rose on its platform and released a burst of energy, striking at Fang's heels. Leo pressed the accelerator all the way to the floor but Fang's top speed couldn't outrun the Fox. Several small swerves did little to deter Brad's aim. The shots tracked him effortlessly. Even if he managed to avoid any serious damage, those stray shots were still chipping at Fang's armor and weakening his feet joints. Having jumped from boredom to panic, Leo glanced ahead and noticed a large outcropping of stones creating a natural ramp. There might be safety in that formation. 

            Leo maneuvered Fang _closer_ to Brad's Shadow Fox and pressed shoulder to shoulder. He could hear Brad's grin over the comm. "Well, now. Trying something new? Let's see what happens." 

            Leo had come across some sharpshooters before. The best tactic right now was to deny Brad a firing angle. If he could force Brad up the ramp and hug the wall, Brad wouldn't be able to aim properly. His gamble paid off as Brad ran up the small mesa with surprisingly little resistance. Leo grinned and stayed as close to the wall as he could, scraping against it several times. 

            "Nice try, Leo, but not good enough." The cannon reappeared over the rim of the wall, pointing at an impossible angle. For the Shadow Fox to aim like that, it'd have to be running on its side! "I forgot to tell you that the Fox's cannon can fire from multiple angles, even from a vantage point like this. 

            Damn it! Leo had seen those strange servos and gears on the Fox's cannon when he'd affected repairs, but he hadn't realized their significance. Now the Fox could rain down fire on him from a better sniping position. Even though the special cannon could not fire straight down, it came close. And Leo kept drifting away from the wall and into the line of fire. Sweat stung his eyes as he tried to keep Fang on one constant course. 

            "Loosen up on your controls." Brad advised. "You're trying too hard to keep your Command Wolf straight. All that tension in your body is making you twitch the controls. Take a deep breath and relax."

            "Easy for you to say."

            "Hey, don't get mad at me. You put yourself in this position. Never let the enemy get the high ground. That always puts them in the better attack position. Even if the Fox couldn't fire from this angle, I'd still be able to snipe you from the top of the mesa. But at least you're thinking tactics." Who knew that Brad could offer compliments? Leo grinned when he realized this was the most he'd heard Brad speak since they'd met.

            True to his promise, Brad stopped at the end of the stone elevation and continued to fire at Leo even as Fang streaked away. His shots were dangerously close, despite the gaining distance, and Leo knew it would only be a matter of seconds before a crippling blast hit home. 

            And then Brad stopped shooting. Leo had grown so accustomed to the sound of the Vulcan's fire that silence was now ominous. "Brad?"

            "Congrats. You cleared my end of the obstacle course. Don't get cocky, though."

            "Yeah, now you have to deal with me." The voice was strangely familiar, yet the tone was completely different. It was far more confident—even boastful—than its owner acted. 

            "Jamie?"   
            "Actually, you can call me the Wild Eagle!" Jamie's neon-green Raynos swooped in above Fang's head. "I'll be your opponent from here. Don't expect to make it beyond this point!" Jamie appeared different in the comm. window. His face was set in a much more intensive mood, with narrower eyes and a cocky smirk. Even his hair seemed spikier, slicked back, and more… aerodynamic.

            "Uh, Jamie, you sound really different than usual."

            "I told you, my name is the Wild Eagle."

            Brad came back on the line. "Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you that. Jamie has an… alternate personality that does all this best flying."

            "He's a schizo?" 

            "Hey, I'm not crazy!" The "Wild Eagle" began firing salvos from the Rayno's belly turret to punctuate his point.

            Brad continued as if nothing was happening. "I wouldn't say it's a mental problem. He just has a different kind of spirit in his Raynos."

            Leo huffed. "Great. And I thought Jamie was the only normal member of this team. I guess you're the most sane member, huh, Brad?" 

            "'Bout time you realized that. Good luck." Brad clicked off. 

            Focusing on Jam-er Wild Eagle, Leo decelerated, hoping the Eagle would expose its tail for him to fry. The pilot saw his move and instead banked to the right, sweeping around for another pass. "Saw that coming last year. You're way too scared of whiplash. You need to slam on the breaks if you wanna catch me off guard." Leo barely dodged the flurry of shots. "And another thing," the tail blasters fired dual shots, striking Fang's cannons and shorting them out, "You should never put yourself in a cannon's line of fire, even if its on the Zoid's back." 

            Great. Now Leo couldn't even shoot back. Well, only thing left to do was sprint for the finish line. Fang charged forward but once again he was far too slow to escape his opponent. Waving from side to side helped dodge Wild Eagle's strafing as it had with Brad, but this time there weren't any natural formations to help Leo. It was nothing but sand all around. 

            Another lecture. "Flying Zoids have a natural advantage of movement and speed over ground units. You can't hope to escape by just running in a straight line."

            "Not much else I can do since you blasted my guns!"   
            "Lame excuse. My Raynos is lethal even without its guns. A Zoid's body is its weapon, not just the armaments. Watch and learn." The main thruster on the Raynos' back flared to life and the winged Zoids sped past Leo, producing a tidal wave of energy in its wake. The sonic boom lifted Fang off the ground and buried it under a shower of sand. 

            Leo stayed put for several seconds, taking deep breaths. This was well out of his league. These were Class S warriors, and they were trying to kill him! This wasn't the training he'd imagined. "I can't keep up." he whispered. Never before had defeat seemed so obvious, even destined. 

            "Are you going to quit already?" The Wild Eagle's voice was laced with disappointment.

            "… No." Fang shook the sand off its back and continued to run. He didn't care if he won or lost anymore but the thought of quitting was appalling. He hadn't survived this long by running away! 

            The Raynos came at him again, firing at Fang's rear. He couldn't outrun it and couldn't shoot it down, but maybe he could buy some time. Leo steered towards the largest sand dune he could find; Wild Eagle followed. 

            Scared of whiplash, huh? It was true that Leo had always eased Fang's speed before stopping for fear that his belt harness couldn't handle an abrupt stop. But now he couldn't blame anything on Fang's equipment. This was a test of courage and he was not going to back down; even if his heart was already in his throat! 

            Speeding towards the dune, Leo leaned forward and rocked in his seat, as if that would help speed Fang. The Raynos was back again, peppering the ground with shots and nipping at Fang's armor. Leo wasn't sure what the right time would be; probably some gut instinct. Trouble was he now knew he didn't have a warrior's instinct. If he had, maybe this wouldn't be going so poorly! It occurred to him that he'd already spent enough time wondering when to stop. Why not just stop now? Leo pulled back on the accelerator booster with all his might and took his feet off the pedals. All Fang and Leo's innards seemed to shift forward and grind against themselves as inertia continued forward without them. Leo's head flung forward despite his bracing, and one of the straps on the crash harness snapped. He barely managed to cushion his face with his arm before bouncing off the control panel. 

            Up above, the Raynos swooped by, barraging him with shots but continuing in a straight light. Only a few shots impacted before the aerial Zoid was beyond him, streaking at the dune with deadly speed. Leo allowed a slight grin when he heard the Wild Eagle's surprised cry and the Raynos' wing clipped the top of the dune as it streaked away. Taking advantage of the break, Leo charged Fang forward on the course Leon had assigned. He'd only have a few moments and it was likely that the Wild Eagle wouldn't fall for the same trick again. He _had to breach the next unmarked territory so the Raynos would be off his back. _

            The shooting returned, this time from a much higher position. That pilot wasn't risking another run in with a dune. Now Leo had no tricks, if those shots managed to actually hit… but they stopped coming. 

            "Too bad." The Wild Eagle huffed. "That was a good move back at the sand dune. Sure didn't expect that from a rookie. You won't catch me like that next time!" 

            "Who said anything about a next time?" Leo had no intention of doing this ever again. "So… does this mean I've entered someone else's area?" This had all the makings of a bad video game. 

            "You're mine now! Weasle Unit Total Assault!" Hard to mistake Leena's laughter as Armageddon reigned down. Leon had said Leo would learn to improve his dodging by evading Leena's shots. Here was proof. "Now I can pay you back, pervert!" 

            "I thought you were over that by now."

            "Nuh-uh. You're going to pay in full!" So that was why she didn't clobber him sooner. She and Brad had both been holding back.

            Missiles and bullets continued to carpet the scenery as Fang weaved past the shots. The blasts were random and chaotic, which meant that Leena wasn't aiming for him; just firing in his general area. Amazing how much ammo that woman could waste. 

            After his struggles with Brad and the Wild Eagle, Leo found himself relaxing under Leena's assault. The shots did come close now and again, but if he blotted out any fears from the explosions he found that the blasts weren't striking close enough to be a true threat. Brad had shown him some maneuvering tips earlier, and the former Command Wolf pilot's experience was a great boon to Leo now. Leena's firing position was extremely far from his own, making for a poor targeting location. She'd either failed to anticipate his location or was simply relying on quantity of shots to bring him down. A salvo landed near Fang's paws, snapping Leo out of his reflections for a moment as Fang tripped and rolled on the ground. 

            "Got you now!" Another barrage of missiles, this time more accurately targeted, dove in. Leo barely had Fang up and running before the desert sand disappeared in an explosion. Leena began her firing again with the same wild abandon. This time, Leo didn't let himself lapse into security. Lucky shot or intended, that one burst had nearly ended Leo's run. He wouldn't be caught off-guard like that again. 

            "Leena, Leena! Stop firing!" Leon's voice took over the comm. "Leo's out of your area." YES! He'd made it past the barbarian woman. 

            NO! That meant Leon was his next opponent. And there it was. The red Blade Liger stood out against the sand like a torch against the night. It stood poised to strike and it was clear that Leon had somehow predicted where Leo would emerge. How could two siblings be so different? Leo wondered. 

            Leon appeared on screen. "I'm impressed that you made it this far, but do not let it go to your head. I told Brad and Jamie-"

            "Wild Eagle!" 

            "er- Wild Eagle to pull their punches. Had either of them truly wanted to defeat you, they could have done so without much effort."

            Leo paused for a moment. "And Leena?" 

            "I don't think she held back. Nice job surviving her. But now you must pass me, and I will not hold back." 

            "great…" This was what Leo had dreaded the most. With his calm and inner strength, Leo had pegged Leon as the strongest pilot from the start. There wasn't much chance Leo would slip past. Nevertheless, he didn't intend to quit now having made it this far. The Wild Eagle hadn't crushed his attempts, Leon wouldn't break him either. Leo had never given up, even when it seemed all of life was against him. He and Fang had survived fourteen years with only themselves to rely on. That was something most Zoid Warriors couldn't claim. He'd find a way to beat Leon. 

            "Fang, GO!" Leo throttled forward and charged the Blade Liger head on. Leon met his charge in turn and lashed out with the Liger's claws. Fang didn't move fast enough and took the blow on the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Before Fang could regain his footing, the Blade Liger lunged forward and pressed its claw to Fang's head, pinning him to the ground. 

            "You charge aggressively enough, but you're out of synch with your Zoid." 

            Leo struggled to shake the Blade Liger off. "What do you mean, 'out of synch?'"

            "You can't just move the controls and expect the Zoid to move the way you intend. Zoids respond to more than just buttons and switches. When you enter a Zoid's cockpit, you're also stepping into its mind. It responds to your thoughts and actions. Even your attitude will affect it. You have to guide your Zoid with your spirit as much as your hands."

            Leo couldn't help but chuckle. Here he was, always reminding people that Zoids were living creatures, and now he was being lectured on guiding them with his spirit. It felt nice to hear such words from another person. He liked Leon. Still, that wasn't any reason to lose now. Zoid Warriors had a saying, "Friendship is needed everywhere, except on the battlefield." 

            Come on, Fang, Leo thought, let's show him how strong we really are. Leo lashed out with Fang's paw and managed to connect with the Blade Liger's ankle. The claw slashed across Fang's neck, leaving marks in the metal, but Fang was upright now and moving fast. Fang bounded beside the Liger and passed it before the claws could lash out again. 

            "Interesting move. However," the back-mounted thrusters popped up between the Liger's shoulders, propelling it into the air while the Blades extended and folded down between its legs on either side. It speed was almost blinding and the blades were at Fang's back almost before Leo knew what was happening. He barely managed to hop Fang to the side before the blades slice the air they'd just passed through. Leon dug the Blade Liger's claws into the ground and swiveled the boosters to the side, turning the Liger at an extremely sharp angle. This time Leo didn't have time to dodge as the Liger streaked in with Fang standing before its blades. 

            With a cry of desperation, Leo pushed Fang forward, not sure what he was doing or what would come of it. All he could hear was metal clashing with metal, and the sand giving under the weight of two Zoids. Warning sirens screamed and the screen bleeped several critical points in Fang's legs. 

            "Good move." Leon praised. It took a moment for those words to sink in. Fang and the Blade Liger stood fixed against one another. The Liger strained forward with the arm linking to the blade crunched between Fang's jaws. Fang was struggling twice as hard to keep from being pushed back. In this struggle of power, the Liger was clearly superior. "You made the only move possible, but now what will you do?"

            "I'm… working on that."

            "Wrong answer." The Liger pushed forward even more. Leo tried to keep Fang's body parallel to the Blade Liger so as not to lose his grip on the blade arm. "You can't keep pushing like this forever. It was your bond with Fang that enabled you to catch my blade, but Fang's body is at its limits. I doubt you can push me away." 

            And he couldn't. The Blade Liger's strength was overwhelming; it was all Leo could do to keep Fang from buckling under the weight of Leon's pressure. Slowly the Liger forced Fang back to the perimeter of Leon's territory. Both Leo and Fang fought with every bit of power to gain even the tiniest inch of ground, but it was futile. In a test of strength a medium-class Zoid always topped a lightweight. The sand did nothing to slow them. Its fine grain might as well have been ice as it slipped away under Fang's paws. Leo tried to wrench the blade arm up and down, hoping to break it off, but the metal held firm. 

            "You're back in my territory now." Oh no. With all his effort focused on pushing, Leo had forgotten about where he stood. He was back on Leena's turf now, and the hail of missiles confirmed it. 

            Explosions shook his cockpit as small novas flared up around the two Zoids. Leon had ceased pushing and now stood on the edge of his own territory. All he had to do was sit and wait for Leo to make another move. Fighting back panic and the desire to break off, Leo continued to hold the blade arm in Fang's mouth. Leena still wasn't aiming properly, but the shots were coming far closer than he preferred. 

            What do I do? What do I do? Leo's mind rushed. The loud booming didn't help him focus. If Leena would stop shooting for just one damn minute, maybe he could think a way out of this! 

            And then he had it. Maybe _Leena_ could get him out of this. If one of her shots came just close enough… There! One missile was streaking down just close enough. Leo threw all of his weight into the controls and pitched Fang to the right. Taken off guard, Leon stumbled with him. It was an understandable lapse. After all, who would willfully throw himself into the path of a weapon? But throw Leo did, right next to the missile's impact. The blast thundered in his ears like now other, and the explosion sent both Fang and the Blade Liger falling. Having expected the move, Leo was the first to recover and leaped over the Blade Liger's still prone body to charge for the finish line. 

            Behind him, Leon shouted at Leena to cease her barrage, which had tracked Leo beyond the boundary and was now accosting the Blade Liger. Its shields were the only guard against the onslaught, but with the added limitation that the Liger could not get up to pursue Fang. Leo laughed giddily as Leon continued to try to get his sister's attention. The barbarian woman was too wrapped in her own ballistics to hear Leon's pleas. 

            That was that! He was going to win this! Brad, Wild Eagle, Leena, Leon, he'd passed them all. Three Class S warriors and a Class A; none of them had been able to stop him and he didn't see Naomi anywhere! Fang's radar didn't detect a hint of any Zoids ahead. There only lay the flare that marked the finish line! 

            Charging forward, Leo felt a pride greater than any before. He'd won! Despite it all he'd-

            _BANG!_

            Fang lurched forward, his paws flipping up over his head and whole body crashing on the desert sand. Leo pitched forward in his broken harness, his head bashing the control panel. There was a flash of white pain, then darkness. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Body language told everything. It was an unconscious element to human physiology. No matter how disciplined the individual, there was no way to block out every emotional telegraph. A twitch of a muscle, a glance this way or that; it spoke volumes if one knew how to read the signs. Kristi Fuma knew how to read body language better than anyone, and these guards were telling her far more than she could ever hope to learn with her ears. 

            The quartet escorting her was moving slowly to deny her any breech in their guard. But she wasn't interested in escape, yet. First she had to know the situation. She focused on the guard to the right. Being the highest rank, he would be the best person to learn from. The man was glancing both to the sides and straight ahead whenever the group reached an intersection. Glancing to the sides she could understand. Iyaga and Negaro, her partners from the Fuma Team, were somewhere in this facility. Perhaps they were being transferred as well. 

            But why look ahead? Surely the other members of Team Fuma would not be transferred in the opposite direction. It would be too easy to stage a breakout. No, someone was coming _in_. A new prisoner perhaps? The ZBC certainly had plenty of those after the Backdraft's loss at the Royal Cup. Sarah and Vega Obscura, as well as their Whale King crew had all been taken prisoner upon their loss to Bit Cloud. Fuma's pride still ached from losing to Vega's Berserk Fury, despite the awe and reverence she held for the young pilot. How one Zoid could overcome three Genosaurers was beyond her.  

            Now was not the time for such thoughts. Refocusing on the leader, Fuma noted the constant flexing of his jaw muscles. The man had a habit of clenching his teeth; a sign of insecurity and uncertainty. This transfer was abrupt and unexpected. None of these men knew the purpose for the transfer. They were simply following orders. Well, if ever there was a time for a breakout… 

            Fuma closed her eyes and now channeled all her focus to her ears. This prison had no windows and all the corridors looked the same. It was an engineering attempt to keep the most dangerous criminals confused and contained. Even the prison personnel got lost sometimes. But the footsteps told her exactly where she was. The ringing of the floor plates was light and quickly dispersed, suggesting that she was above the ground level. At the same time, the footsteps' echo off the ceiling was much more dense, with a deep baritone. They were below the top floor. Judging from the tones, Fuma calculated she was on either the second or third floor, probably the third. The cells were behind her, and the elevator's unique chiming positioned it fifty paces ahead. The easiest way to locate her teammates and escape would be to wait until she was at the elevator, then strike and make her way to the command center on the first floor. She could locate Iyaga and Neguro from there. 

            As soon as the elevator was in view, Fuma struck. She quickly crouched down and lashed her leg out in a counter-clockwise sweep. The blow was so fast that none of the guards had time to react and were soon laying sprawled on the foor. Their muscles screamed their every intent. The first two were reaching for stunners while the guards to rear were opting for guns. Her hands bound behind her back, Fuma decided to use the forward guards to her advantage. She sprung forward and kicked the leader in the chest, forcing him back into one of his subordinates. The guard's stunner slipped and shocked the second guardsman before he could raise his weapon. The charge carried through his body into the leader's. Apparently, they'd set the stun a little higher than usual. At least they respected her abilities, and rightly so. 

            She other forward guard came at her with a stunner, but his coordination with the other armed guard was poor and Fuma had no trouble using one as a human shield against the other. All she had to do was dodge the stunner while keeping the guard between herself and the gunner. Several quick dance steps later, she was poised to kick the guard in the jaw, pinching a nerve at the back of his mouth and thrusting him into unconsciousness. The final guard took too long to gain a bead on her. She knocked him unconscious before he was even close to dead-on aim. 

            Within moments she had liberated a key from the head guard and unshackled her arms. Hotwiring the elevator was a simple task, and she made her way to the control center, where the door was already open. She had expected to have to battle the command staff upon her arrival, but they were in no position to combat anyone. The entire staff lay at the feet of two men, both dressed in the unique fashions of Team Fuma. 

            Iyaga, youthful with shinny blue hair and a goatee, glanced up from the communications panel and grinned at her. "Hey, boss. What took you so long?" 

            Fuma arched an eyebrow. "And just how did you two get here before me?" Was it possible she was losing her edge? 

            Neguro, tall and square-faced, answered in his usual stone voice. "They only assigned three guards to myself. Two for Iyaga." 

            "It's insulting!" Iyaga threw his hands up. "Don't they know who they're dealing with?" 

            "Apparently they do."

            "Not funny!" Iyaga returned to acquiring an outside line. 

            "I was not joking." 

Relieved to know her skills hadn't diminished, Fuma addressed her troops. "Good job breaking free." 

            Neguro nodded. "We were lucky they transferred us before they finished interrogating us."

            Iyaga nodded. "Especially before we had to go to the prison showers, huh Neguro? You could have made some guy very happy." 

            "Forget the jokes and find out where they took the Genosaurers." Fuma ordered. 

            Neguro said, "Already done. The three Genosaurers are still in the main hanger while their weapons systems are being deactivated. They're complex machines, so it's a slow process. We can unlock them easily enough, but Genosaurer 3 is heavily damaged. It took the brunt of the Fury's CPC. I doubt we'll be able to move it on its own power."

            Iyaga waved a hand. "No problem. I can hotwire a Gustav and we'll move it out in no time." 

            Fuma nodded. "We cannot leave a Genosaurer in the ZBC's hands. It'd be much more valuable to us after we escape." 

            "Valuable for selling or valuable as a token to the Backdraft?"

            That was the question. To return, or to remain free and independent. Being locked away had denied the Fuma Team any information on the status of the Backdraft Organization. It was very possible they had been wiped out after the Fury's defeat. If the Backdraft was no more, the Fuma Team could either sell off the Genosaurers for a handsome retirement sum, or gain even more money as mercenaries using the remaining two Zoids and sell off the damaged model. If the Backdraft had somehow survived… well, she'd consider what to do with that scenario once it actually came up.

            "Hey, Fuma." Iyaga waved. "Finally got in touch with the baby." 

            "Very funny." A brown haired man, about the same age as Iyaga, appeared on screen. He was thin and handsome, but with an odd buzz cut that nearly showed his entire scalp. He too wore the dark colored uniform of Team Fuma. "I was hoping prison life would take some of those bad jokes out of you, Iyaga." 

            "Not a chance, Koga. Humor's the only thing you've got in a place like this. That and soap-on-a-rope." 

            "Koga," Fuma spoke to her team's final member, "what's the situation outside?" Having no Genosaurer of his own, Koga—the newest and least experienced member of the team—had remained behind to keep Fuma informed of any developments in the power struggle between Alteil and Sarah.

            Koga tried to maintain a professional presence, but she could tell the young man had seen too much change in a very short time. "The Backdraft's wounded, bad. Sarah, Vega, and the Berserk Fury were all taken into custody, I have no idea where they're locked away. The ZBC stormed and captured the Backdraft HQ. We've lost over half our funding and most of our Warriors are either AWOL or surrendered."

            "What about the Committee of Seven?" Mother…

            "Most have gone into hiding. Several have been captured, but no one we'll miss." None of the Fuma team spoke openly about Countess Fuma. It was taboo. They all knew and respected that Fuma had gained her position within the Backdraft based on her own strength. "But… one member is dead… Count Umbra."

            Fuma and her men were used to surprises and adapting on the fly, but that news was too great a shock. "Dead? How?"

            "Suicide. His aid betrayed his location and the ZBC came down on him, hard. He killed the traitor, then shot himself in the head. The ZBC is still investigating, but it doesn't look like there was any foul play." 

            "Who is leading the Backdraft in the Committee's absence?" There would be no Committee without Count Umbra. He was the heart of the Backdraft. Now that heart was dead. 

            "You won't believe this." Koga almost laughed. "Commander… or, excuse me, 'Supreme Commander' Alteil is calling the shots now. He contacted me just yesterday." 

            "Alteil…" Neguro's voice betrayed his disgust. "Do we really want to go back to _him?" _

Fuma understood what he meant. Alteil's plea had sounded genuine, but his body language had said something different. "I need to draw on your strength" had translated into "Do the dirty work so I can reap the benefits." He'd intended for the Fuma Team to kill Vega Obscura and thwart Sarah's play for power; but instead he'd sent them to defeat and humiliation, followed by imprisonment. Vega had been far too powerful, as had his Berserk Fury. Alteil had misjudged his foe, and Fuma's men had paid for it. 

She considered her decision before replying. "Back then, it was either Alteil or Sarah who'd be next in line for leading the Backdraft. Vega would be the only warrior to benefit from Sarah's reign, so we served Alteil because he promised to remember us when he was elevated to the top of the Backdraft's ladder. Now that he is 'Supreme Commander,' we can probably collect on our agreement."

Iyaga frowned, "He won't be happy with our failure to destroy the Fury. He might renege on the deal."

Koga nodded. "He didn't come to power through his own ends. More like luck. He's taking advantage of a bad situation and won't be eager to share what wealth the Backdraft has left." 

Fuma nodded with a sly grin. "But loyalty is fleeting right now. Alteil needs his subordinates to follow his orders unquestionably. What would happen if word were to escape that he tried to kill off the Backdraft's greatest warrior? I doubt he'd have an easy time hanging on to soldiers who didn't trust him. 

Iyaga nodded. "So we blackmail Alteil and take our leave." 

"Yes. We'll also trade him Genosaurers 2 and 3 for our Neo War Sharks. We'll be better suited for mercenary work with several swift Zoids and one high-power Genosaurer."

"No retirement then?" 

"Not yet. I don't know about you, but I don't feel old enough to retire yet. I want to have a little more fun before I take it easy." 

Iyaga nodded. "Yeah. I'm not wrinkly enough to putt around some golf course." 

Neguro agreed. "Then we should move with all speed."

"Hang on." Koga leaned closer to the screen. "If we're going to do this, there might be a way to get even more money out of this." 

"Would this have something to due with the prisoner being transferred in?" 

Koga blinked for a moment. "You're scary, boss. The prisoner being moved in knows more about the BF than anyone else. Imagine how much money Alteil would pay to keep that information a secret." 

"Or we could sell that information on the Black Market. Iyaga, I know who we're searching for. Scan the facility and find him. Koga, what is your location?" 

"Camped out on a sand dune just south of your position. I couldn't get my War Shark, but I've got a jeep all set up." 

"Get to the hanger and secure the three Genosaurers and a Gustav. Put Genosaurer 3 on the Gustav and move it outside. Leave the jeep behind for Iyaga. Neguro and I will pilot the other two Genosaurers. We'll rendezvous fifty miles north, north-east of our position. Move!" 

"Yes Ma'am!" 

            *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

"Leo?... Leo? Can you hear me?" That was a pretty sexy voice… What would a woman like that be calling his name for? The darkness slowly faded into the face of Naomi Flugel. She was leaning over him, checking his forehead while Leon, Brad, Jamie, and Leena watched anxiously. 

"Ugh…" Leo leaned forward and instantly regretted it. His brains felt like they'd slip out of his skull and plop down in Naomi's lap. 

"Don't move. You've got one nasty bump on your head." 

"What happened?" 

Naomi blushed a little. "I'm sorry. My shot tripped up your Command Wolf, but I didn't know your harness was broken. You slipped and hit the control panel. Lucky you didn't crack your skull open." 

Leena sighed, "That's what he gets for piloting with second-rate equipment."

Leo growled, "That 'second-rate' equipment got past all your shots." 

"Don't confuse luck with skill, pal." 

"Leena!" Leon warned his younger sister. 

Jamie sighed, "She's just acting that way because she knows you're alright. She was freaking out when we lost contact with you."

"I was not! Why would I be worried about _him_?" Again with the _him__. What did she see that was so wrong with Leo?_

"How's Fang?" 

"Resting comfortably. We didn't have a chance to make repairs yet." Naomi pointed to the fallen Command Wolf. The bullet that had crippled him was wedged between the hydraulics in the right leg's ankle. Naomi had brought him down with one shot, and hadn't technically damaged anything. What an incredible shot! 

Leo's fascination died into depression quickly. He'd lost. So close to the finish and one shot had ended it all. After making it that far… To be stopped at that point seemed almost cruel. I can't keep up, he realized again. I didn't even see her coming.

Naomi must have been able to read minds. "I'm very good at laying low until I attack. Most warriors couldn't find me with the most high-tech radar available. Actually, I can count the number of people who've dodged my shots on one hand." 

"Great… so I guess I don't even make it onto your hand." What a dismal failure. 

"Oh, quit whining." Leena had that damn air about her again. "You didn't really think you'd get past all of us so easily, did you?" 

"Leena," Naomi stood up. "for once in your life-"

"I'll take you on, right now." Leo elicited a gasp from the entire group. "Right now, Leena. Let's fight one-on-one." 

"Uh, you wanna repeat that?" 

"You've been riding me all day about how much better you think you are, but when push comes to shove I dodged almost all of your shots. So let's see how good you really are. If I win, you shut up and never compare us again." Part of him acknowledged this was crazy, but he didn't care. Disappointment and anger at himself had found a target in Leena. 

            "You're nuts!" Leena motioned to Fang. "Your Command Wolf can't fire its weapons, your piloting harness is broken, you shattered your readout display with your head, and your Zoid can't even walk! And don't forget you're already wounded."

            "I can have Fang up and running again in less than half an hour. And I'm well enough to fight. So are you going to take my challenge, or make some lame excuse?" 

            He knew he'd hit a nerve. Leena was far too self-aware to let a challenge to her courage go uncontested. She placed her hands on her hips and glowered at him. "Fine. But when I win, you have to polish my Zoid for a year, and rub my feet every night." 

            "As long as you don't have any bunions, it's a deal."

            "How dare you imply my feet are that disgusting? You-"

            "HANG ON!" Jamie—now back to his normal self—interposed himself between the two quarrelers. "Leo's in no shape to fight. He could wind up with a concussion or brain damage or-"

            "Jamie." Leon's calm voice cut all arguments short. "Let Leo do this. He obviously feels strongly about this, and a Zoid warrior has to act on his feelings. If Leo's willing to accept the risk, we have no right to deny him." That cut all arguments short. From there in, everyone followed Leon's lead. 

            It took forty minutes to return Fang to battle-ready status. The laser cannons were easy to repair, as was taping the crash harness back together. The video display for the comm. system was also damaged, and Leo couldn't fix it as easily. He was at least able to get the audio settings working, thus giving him a crude radio. The hard part was wedging out Naomi's bullet, which took the combine efforts of Jamie, Brad, and Leon. Leo had tried to help, but they had insisted he rest for the coming fight. For all his bravado, Leo knew this fight would be different from his last bought with Leena. She'd be at closer range, and she apparently had plenty of ammo left to spare. Naomi and Leena were currently arguing while they loaded extra missiles and bullets into Leena's Gun Sniper, newly (and secretly) christened "Ballistic" by Leo. 

            All those armaments could reduce Fang to molten slag in a heartbeat if Leena's aim was even remotely dead-on; but Leo couldn't back down now. Leena would think him a coward and be on his case twice as much, and the others wouldn't think that highly of Leo either. Besides, he and Fang had a history of putting up losing battles. On some rare occasions, he'd won, and even when he lost he'd walked or crawled away proud that he'd stood up for himself. Leon spoke of wearing shame like a badge of honor. Well, Leo had done that for years now. The only difference was that his pride came from personal fights rather than Zoid battles. Today had been all about shame. Missing targets, being chased across the desert, and tripping over his own Zoid. Leo's ego couldn't take many more blows so soon. He had to beat Leena. He _would_ beat Leena!

            This was the only thought in his mind as he stared from Fang's cockpit to Ballistic, where Leena waited with her thumb on the trigger. "I'm all set. Wanna back out now." 

            "You wish." Fang braced himself to charge.

            From atop a dune well outside Ballistic's firing range, Leon sat in his Blade Liger, dinged and scratched from Leena's blows, but surprisingly intact. "I'll serve as judge for this match. Jamie, Brad, and Naomi will be spotters. The match ends if either pilot is injured, or concedes defeat. 

            "Not going to happen." Both Leo and Leena spoke in unison. 

            "Alright then. Ready… hold on." Both pilots stumbled at Leon's false start. 

            "Leon! What's going on? You're supposed to say 'Ready, FIGHT!'" 

            "We've got visitors." For a moment, Leo thought 'visitors' referred to the sandstorm gathering in the distance; until Fang's sensors detected the metal-based cells of Zoids inside the cloud of flying sand. A herd of Zoids was running towards them at top speed. Wild Zoids were a thing of the past, but a team that big would never be allowed to participate in battles. Something settled in the pit of Leo's stomach, giving him a strong paranoia. 

            "This isn't good…" 

            "We don't know that." Leon opened his comm. "Hailing approaching Zoid group; you are about to enter an area where we are conducting a training exercise. Please alter your course." No response. "I say again, please alter your course." Nothing.

            Leo could see the approaching Zoids now. He didn't recognize the type. They were small and thin with golden fans encircling their dull-gray heads. Their arms were tiny and their feet ridiculously large. They were fast and agile, and moved with unnerving precision. But where were the pilots? Those heads could barely fit a full-grown man, let alone the equipment to maneuver a Zoid. Something was definitely wrong with this picture. 

            "HEY!" Leena shouted. "Are you people listening? You're going to get blasted. Move out of our way!" Her barking didn't even slow them. The Zoids plowed through the desert sand with the cloud in their wake. Leo and Leena had to jump out of the way as the stampede sped past them and the sandstorm blocked out all visibility.

            Leo and Fang stood in the brown darkness, glancing nervously from side to side. Leo had managed enough anger to challenge and face Leena, but being shut out in the dark with a pack of weird Zoids was something he wasn't ready to face today. "Hey, where are you guys?" 

            Jamie replied first. "I managed to fly above the sand, but I can't see anyone." 

            Brad was next. "Can't see a thing, but the Fox's sensors say our guests are still here." 

            Pinpoints of bloody light appeared all around Fang. Leo could see other spots farther back in the cloud, piercing through the darkness. One of the… things stepped into partial view. Its mouth opened wider than a hanger door, revealing a blaster where its tongue should have been. "Watch out!" Leo pulled Fang to the right just as a blast of energy shot out. A second blast from another small Zoid clipped Fang in the shoulder, but Leo managed to stay upright.

            "Everyone, be alert!" Leon ordered. "These things are looking for a fight!" 

            "No kidding!" Leo could hear Leena's artillery fire and saw the flashes not too far away. It would be better to stand as a group rather than risking hitting each other while blinded. With a push of the pedals and the accelerator set to full throttle, Fang charged forward, firing shots as he went. Two bursts struck home on an enemy Zoid and sent it toppling, but several times as many shots came in retaliation. Three of the small Zoids had stepped in to take the place of the one he'd defeated. 

            Falling back on brute force, Leo rammed through the blockade and nearly slammed into Leena's newest barrage. Fortunately, one of the enemy Zoids stepped in front of him and took the full force. "Watch it!" Leena snapped. "Don't go waltzing into the line of fire!"

            "You don't _have a line of fire. I'm beginning to think carpet barraging is all you know!" _

            "It certainly works better than your style." Leena already had ten kills while Leo had only taken out one. He quickly set about correcting that imbalance by blasting three more Zoids. His aim had improved somewhat under Naomi's tutelage, but he knew the true reason for many kills was that the enemy was packed so tightly together it was difficult to miss. 

            "Leon? Brad? Naomi? Where are you guys?" 

            "Can't tell! This sand is blocking out everything!"

            Naomi said, "I managed to get on top of a rock cropping. I can see Leena's bursts, but not much else." 

            "Jamie, what about you?"

            "I can't see anything from up here. This sand cloud just isn't settling fast enough." 

            It looked like Leo and Leena were on their own. The others weren't going to back them up. Leo redoubled his efforts to close the gap between his kills and Leena's. It struck him as odd that he, like many Warriors, used the term "kill" when all he'd really done was knocked the Zoids unconscious. A hard enough hit shut down these Zoids' command systems immediately. Already their unconscious bodies dotted the landscape, severely limiting Fang's maneuverability. 

            "Everyone," Leon called, "Head for Leena's position. Use the light from her blasts as a guide. We'll form up and counterattack there." 

            But Leena's guns weren't firing anymore. The thunder of artillery had subsided into a small hail of clicks. "I'm out of ammo!" Of course. Ballistic would run out of ammo _now. At least Leo now knew the Gun Sniper did actually have a finite supply of artillery. He had begun to doubt. _

            "AHHHH!" Leena's scream snapped him out of his musing. One of the Zoids had snuck up behind her and lashed out with a crimson blade attached to its hip. The blow had cut deeply into Ballistic's leg, causing the Gun Sniper to fall over. Taking advantage of an opening, the Zoid that had brought Leena down positioned itself above her cockpit, with its blaster slowly charging up. 

            "Leena!" Fang's path was blocked by three more enemy units. "Damn it. Get out of my way!" Several bursts of fire did nothing to clear his path. Two shots streaked by the Zoids' heads and third only brought down the middle one. Another unit quickly appeared to replace it. 

            Farther ahead, Leena's assailer was nearly done charging. Leena herself was trying to get her Gun Sniper into motion, but the damage to its leg completely ruined her attempt to flee. The red glare of the blaster painted her whole Zoid in blood. "H-help." Leo could hear tears in her voice. "Help me!" 

            Leo wasn't sure what happened next. He'd never truly understand. One moment he was staring his opponents, three-on-one; helpless to defend Leena. Then suddenly the three Zoids were scrolling past him, yet they weren't moving. Fang side-bounded and fired several quick shots before Leo even realized it was he who was manipulating the controls. The lizard Zoid on the end of the blockade strode to intercept his shot, but the blasts arched past its slender neck and found their mark on the head of Leena's attacker. The explosion shook the Zoid off its center and the shot went wide, striking the Gun Sniper in the much less crucial shoulder. The second burst knocked the creature off its feet and shut down its command system. It toppled lifelessly. The third shot was overkill and streaked onward, hitting yet another enemy unit in the far distance. 

            Leo stood numb for a moment, blinking. He'd hit it! He'd hit a small target like that, while moving, with less than a heartbeat to aim. Such a feat was beyond him. Today had shown he didn't have that kind of skill, and yet he'd succeeded on his first try.

            "LEO!" A red flash came up from Fang's right and struck the cockpit. Leo's brain shook within his skull while Fang toppled over and the front display exploded. Leo threw up his arms, shielding his face from the glass and loose wires. The wound in his forehead reopened and blood from both old and fresh wounds stung his eyes. 

"Fang, you okay?" Nothing. Fang remained completely silent. For a moment Leo feared he lost his partner, but he could feel Fang's core still beating deep within his body. With the display panel shattered, there was no way to check the damage report. Fang had most likely suffered command system failure. He was now as limp as the other Zoids around them. 

Another crimson glow fell over his body, and up above stood yet another enemy Zoid, ready to repeat the attack that Leo had just miraculously stopped. Leo sighed and closed his eyes. There was no way to defend himself, and he was far too tired and hurt to crawl out of his Zoid. Besides, he'd never abandon Fang. If they were to die, they would die united. It was too bad, really. Today hadn't been that much fun, but he'd liked having the others around. It was odd. He knew Jace and so many other "teammates" from before didn't really miss him, but it seemed like the Blitz Team would. It was… nice to be missed. 

The red shine pierced through his eyelids, but he also noted a golden lining at the edge of his sight. "Strike Laser Claw!" That wasn't Brad's voice. 

Leo's eyes snapped open just in time to see a white Liger Zoid streak in and slash at the smaller Zoid's head. The golden claws ripped through the creature's skull and nearly severed the head. The two Zoids clashed to the ground and the new Liger lunged at the next target. It was amazingly fast, a black and white blur with flecks of gold shinning near its neck and claws. Its bleached armor was cut at sharp angles, usually in forming triangles or squares along the shoulders and legs. Two red eyes glowed with slits beneath the cockpit door. Leo had seen this Zoid a hundred times since the Royal Cup, but never in real life. Out here, it seemed far larger than life as it felled one small Zoid after another. Even the sand cloud began to rescind in its presence. All around Leo could see the hulks of Zoids that had lost to Leon and the others. Nary a fraction of their original number remained while Fang and Ballistic were the only casualties for their own side. 

Leo watched the Liger Zero and the other Zoids rip through the remaining units. They all moved with such speed and precision. Naomi's sniping cannon took out twice as many units as Brad's laser vulcan cannon, yet Brad could move with as much fluidity as Liger Zero. Leon's blades tore through metal and stone as if they were air, and Jamie's strafing kept the entire enemy off-balance. All these warriors had such varied strengths and techniques, yet they could easily compete with one another. They knew themselves so well. They knew how _they_ fought, and were stronger for it. Leo didn't have that kind of clarity. He didn't know himself well enough to know how he fought. Right in front of him was the clearest example of the gap between his skills and those of the upper class warriors. 

He could only sit numb in the darkened cockpit, as immobile as Fang, while the other pilots exited their Zoids and ran to his Command Wolf. His eyes drifted to the Liger Zero pilot. He was tall and lean with short, spiky blond hair and wide, excited green eyes. He ran faster than any of the other pilots and reached the cockpit first. With some effort, he managed to pry it open and extended a hand to Leo. 

"Hey, you okay?" 

"Y-yeah…" 

His smile was so easy-going. "Glad to hear it. Name's Bit Cloud. That was one heck of a shot back there."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Author's Note: "Kristi Fuma" is a fan-made name I applied to the Fuma Team's leader. I have no idea what her official name is. In fact, I don't think she _has an official name. As for her mother, look closely at the Committee of Seven next time a rerun shows them judging Altei. One of them might look surprisingly familiar. _

            No promises on the next chapter, but I'll try to get it done soon. Take care, everyone. 


	6. Transitions

Battle Dawn

Chapter 6: Transitions

by Silver

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating this story. I have a hard time balancing between a job search and finishing two fan fics. This chapter is going to establish some of the bigger picture to the story. It'll also feature the return of some New Century characters in an unlikely place.

I'm a little disappointed right now because it seems that Zoids Fuzors has been cancelled. It was not a great series, but I don't like having to abandon a story halfway through (that's why I don't like half-finished fan fics). I guess I'll have to write an ending for Fuzors some time.

Thanks to everyone who's been reading this story and to those who have left reviews. I really appreciate the input.

What a remarkable show. Now he could see why Grandfather had so adored watching unsanctioned battles. Such conflicts held the possibility of death, just as a true Zoid battle should. Yet this had been more than a Backdraft battle; this was the unofficial start of a war. Here the enemy was intent on killing, and the Zoid warriors had responded in turn. Not a single Diloforce had escaped destruction. True, they were only in a command system freeze—what would be described as unconscious by humans—but they'd be scrapped soon enough. There'd be an investigation (which would lead absolutely nowhere) and then, their purpose having been fulfilled, the Zoids would be destroyed. Failure in war meant death, no matter how benevolent your foe might try to be.

And this battle had held an added attraction: Leena Toros. To see her in combat was a true affirmation of Vaez's plans. He'd intentionally set a great number of Diloforce upon her, and watched her battle prowess via a video link with each unit. Here was a woman who appreciated power, as displayed through her very liberal use of firearms. She'd torn apart unit after unit, almost faster than Vaez could switch signals. Her custom Zoid was an embodiment of her appreciation of power; power that could not be supplied by any lower-class fool. Vaez had been disappointed when her ammunition ran out. Her vulnerability showed when she did not have access to the power she required. The Blitz Team did not have the financing to keep her ammunition well stocked. Only someone with Vaez's power could truly provide for her. And provide he would.

Panic almost set it when one Diloforce had toppled her and been poised for the kill. Vaez had prepared to use his personal Hammerhead's cannons to destroy the rouge unit when that antiquated Command Wolf had abruptly launched an offensive. Vaez gave the Zoid little mind as it was not registered to any team and the pilot was obviously sub-par. To think that a Princess would be saved by a commoner. Vaez hated those kinds of fairy tales. Leena Toros—a diamond in the rough—should not owe her life to any grunt. Vaez would have to introduce himself soon lest she start to associate with even more commoners.

The battle now concluded, the Zoids Warriors of both Blitz and Flugel teams had moved from their Zoids to the fallen Command Wolf, and the bumbling warrior who'd allowed himself to be hit a second after saving Leena Toros. High above, beyond any human eyesight, Vaez's hammerhead hovered silently, focusing its belly cameras on the gathering crowd. He zoomed in on the Command Wolf cockpit, curious the see who had been fighting alongside two of the ZBC's top teams.

The pilot was young, about the same age as Leena Toros and Bit Cloud. His smoky gray hair was an unusual shade and somewhat stained by the blood draining from his wounds. He was unconscious, and thus Vaez could not make out the color of his eyes. He suspected they were a dark navy. What was 12515 doing with the Blitz Team?

His communication console chimed, interrupting his query. What a bother. He'd worked very hard to slip away to witness this performance and now someone had the gall to interrupt him. He slapped the receive button and Alteil appeared on screen. Vaez frowned. "I don't remember giving you permission to call me."

"… forgive me, sir." The words grinded past Alteil's teeth. "But I thought you might want to know that the Fuma-"

"Yes, I know. Fuma and her men escaped."

As usual Alteil was three steps behind him. "How did you?"

"I am the ZBC Chairman after all. I received word just before setting out. Tell me, what base will Fuma head to?"

Alteil pondered for a moment. "I would guess our base near Porto. It's still in our control, and is near the prison." The expected answer.

"No. She's a master of stealth and won't go to the most _obvious_ base. Remember, she attacked the Berserk Fury and will most likely be eager to avoid anyone who witnessed that little betrayal you cooked up."

Alteil look stricken. "Why bother asking me a question when you already know the answer?"

"A good director must always know how capable his performers are. You fit the roll of a puppet nicely." Such a rewarding scowl. "I want you to head to the base near the Guerrial Plateau. It's sparsely staffed and the mountain cover would make it easy to move three Genosaurers at night. Fuma will most likely appear there."

"That will take them at least several days travel."

"Safety over expediency; that is Fuma's best option now. Go there, Alteil, and be ready to bargain." He held up and stroked the trigger to Alteil's heart machine to ensure this was taken as an order.

"Yes… sir." The screen clicked off.

Several days, provided Fuma was being cautious. Vaez had no doubt she was as he had reviewed all of Fuma's personnel file, including a psychoanalyst's report. Fuma was a calm and collected warrior who knew how to move with utter stealth and struck when an opponent was most vulnerable. Grandfather, Alteil, and even the mad scientist Dr. Laon had all failed to grasp Fuma's true potential and thus her skills had been squandered. Vaez would put her skills to the best use; and she _would_ serve him. He already knew how to assure it.

Vaez keyed a text message to some of his most loyal agents, the very ones who'd acquired Alteil. They'd be able to finish the mission in several days, provided there weren't any complications. Of course there wouldn't be any. Vaez had been too careful in crafting this drama. All would go according to script.

The big men were angry again, which meant that they'd starting hitting again. This time he was being hit by a new man, someone he hadn't seen before. But he still wore those long black coats and a weird pair of glasses that hid his eyes. They looked more like goggles. They made him look silly, even though he was trying to be scary.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with this Molga?" he asked in between kicks. This beating hurt more than any other. Even the angry man from the desert didn't hit this hard.

"I was fixing him. His left wheel was hurt!"

"'Him?' 'His?' It's a Zoid, not a person you stupid brat!" More kicking. "And don't touch those parts! That work belongs to the techs. You're a Zoid pilot!" Some of the "techs" were watching from farther back. They had seemed a lot nicer. They'd even said he was doing a good job. Another man in a black coat was yelling at them as well, but they weren't being hit. Many of them were looking over at him with worried faces. Why couldn't he be a tech too?

The new angry man that was hitting him dragged him by the back of his shirt and tossed him back in his room. "Stay in there until we call for you!" He locked the door.

It was stupid. These men were stupid. They kept saying, "You'll be a pilot, 12515." "You'll shoot to kill, 12515." "You're not a tech. Don't fix the Zoids, 12515." Why was being a pilot so important to these angry men? He was a lot better at fixing Zoids than blowing them up. Let 12516 fight; he loved to kill.

His chest hurt, and there were new bruises on his face. He tried not to cry, but it hurt real bad. He crawled over towards his bed, but it hurt to move and he wouldn't sleep like this. He wanted to run away. This was a bad place and he wanted to leave it. But there was no way out; they locked the door. And those guards were everywhere. They made sure nobody walked out unless they were allowed.

He lay on the floor, cry silently. He stared at the wall, hoping maybe his mind would forget the pain, but it didn't. What it did do was notice the weird metal plate in the wall. He'd once heard the techs call it a 'vent.' It was small, but not too small. He might actually be able to fit. He crawled over to the vent and pulled on the plate. It was screwed in place.

He looked closely at the screws. The techs had always had to 'improvise' with their work. A lot of them didn't have good tools so they used things like knifes from the mess hall to unscrew things. There was a plate from breakfast next to his bed, and so was knife. It still hurt to move, but maybe he could open the vent with the knife. It took a long time just to get to the bed. His leg wasn't moving right, it kept dragging. When he finally got the knife and crawled back to the vent, the knife wouldn't fit right. It took a long, long time just to get one screw out. And it took almost as long to get the second screw.

By the time he was ready to try the third screw, he heard voices come towards him. They almost came in before he could slide the knife and screws under his bed. This time it was the angry man from before, and apparently someone old enough to boss the first man around. "Look at him. You idiot! He's no good to us crippled!" It felt kinda good to see one of the angry men get hit for a change. "Get him to the infirmary." Now the first angry man looked sad and there was more dragging, this time to a place with doctors who looked at his leg and put some kind of stingy liquid on him.

When they were done he could walk a little better, and the pain was going down. Another dark man came to get him, without mentioning what happened to the first dark man who'd been yelled at. "There will be no training today. But you will do twice as many exercises tomorrow, so sleep now." They went back to the room, and the door was locked again.

The knife was still under his bed, and he didn't sleep. He worked on the last two screws as fast and as quietly as he could. The plate came off real easy with the screws finally gone. He set it down next to the opening and crawled inside. It was too snug. His clothes kept dragging against the metal, slowing him down and making him hot. So he crawled back out and took his uniform off. Now it was easy to move through the vent. It hurt a little as he crawled since the space was still really small, but it didn't stop him and it didn't hurt as bad as the beatings. He crawled deeper into the vent, and everything started to go dark.

"Leo? Hey, Leo." Funny, everyone else called him 12515. There was something almost familiar about that name though. The darkness around him seemed to lift slightly, and soon he realized his eyes were shut. Leo blinked under the sharp ceiling lights. He was lying on a bed, much softer than the one in his dream. And the faces around him were much friendlier. Leena, Brad, Jamie, Naomi, Leon and Doc Toros were gathered around him.

"Hey," Brad grinned, "nice of you to finally wake up."

Doc grinned. "You had us all worried there for a while."

Leo pressed a hand to his throbbing head and felt the bandages wrapped there. "What happened?"

Jamie explained, "Once Bit showed up, we were able to defeat the remaining Zoids. You passed out after we got you out of your Command Wolf's cockpit. It was touch and go there for a while. You were bleeding badly. How many stitches did you give him?"

Naomi answered, "About twenty."

"Right, twenty. Good thing Naomi knows some first aid."

"Comes with being a Zoid Warrior."

Leena folded her arms. "More like having too much free time. I don't know first aid."

"Pardon me. I meant it comes with being a _good_ Zoid Warrior."

"What was that?"

As Leena and Naomi quarreled, Doc Toros stepped beside Leo. "Leon told me what happened with those strange Zoids and that maneuver you pulled. I want to thank you, Leo, for saving my daughter's life."

Leo shrugged, embarrassed. "Lucky shot."

"Not so lucky from what I saw." Leon said. "I reviewed some of the footage from an enemy Zoid. Your move was incredibly well played. If you'd jumped to your right instead of your left, you would have been right in the enemy's firing line. But instead you jumped out of their sights and landed two hits fast enough to disable an enemy."

"And then got blasted myself." Yep. It was all coming back.

"Regardless, that was no small accomplishment. Before that battle, Leo, I only saw enough potential in you to reach Class B. But after seeing that move, I can't even guess how far you can go." Leo wasn't sure how to react to that compliment. At first it almost sounded like criticism. He hadn't the skills to get into Class A, and Class S would be an eternal dream. But now even Leon couldn't tell how strong Leo could become. That gave some hope.

"Well." Doc clapped his hands together. "Jamie, I think it's time we got started on dinner."

"What? You mean you didn't start already? I thought you were going to handle dinner tonight!" Boys as young as Jamie shouldn't have veins bulge like that.

"Well… I was going to… but then something came up."

Leon nodded. "You were playing with your toys again."

"Oh, Dad." Leena sighed.

"Not toys! Model kits. An extremely rare one in this case; a brand-new model commemorating the Helic Republic's latest discovery. It's called the Mad Thunder and-"

"Whatever." Jamie sighed. "Guess I'll go start on dinner. Anyone want to help?" No takers. "Thought so." Jamie slumped out the door.

"I'm afraid we can't stay." Leon and Naomi began saying their goodbyes. "Word is the new season is ready to be revealed. We need to get our Zoids prepped and start gathering supplies."

"Goodness, I guess we'd better get on that too. I'll go have to have a word with Jamie about it." Doc followed Naomi and Leon out the door.

Leo frowned. "Why is Jamie team mother?"

Brad shrugged. "That's the role he takes on. Don't expect me to fill in for him."

"My Dad will never change. If it weren't for Jamie, we'd lose all our financing on weapons and toys."

"They're all the same to Doc. And you burn a lot of money on ammo too, Leena."

"You would too if you didn't have that laser Vulcan cannon!"

"Remember that Command Wolf I used to pilot? No lasers on that Zoid, and I still only used a tenth as much ammo as you."

"Why you!" Leena snarled.

Uh-oh. "Time to go." Leo rolled off the bed.

"Hey! You shouldn't be moving around." The fight abruptly forgotten, Leena was surprisingly gentle as she tried to get him to lie back down.

"I'll be fine. I heal quickly. Besides, I need to check on Fang."

Brad said, "We brought him back to the hanger along with Leena's Gun Sniper."

Leo thanked them and went to check on his partner, who still remained in a system freeze. Fang might as well have been a broken marionette given his slumped form. The damage to his side was extensive, though thankfully the core remained undamaged. Fang would heal in time, although this would set their plans back a good while.

Crawling into the cockpit was not as easy as it should have been. In addition the glass shards that had once been the readout screen littering the pilots chair, Leo found he'd lost so much blood the climb up made him dizzy. He slumped down Fang's leg and rested on his paw. What a day. What a miserable, challenging, hope-filled day. Having run the gauntlet with the Blitz and Flugel Teams, and then fighting a band of unknown Zoids, Leo was surprised to still be alive. He'd neither the skill nor the power to defeat either force, and yet he'd survived both trials, just as he'd done countless other times.

He thought back to his dream, or memory, and grinned at how he used to envy the techs while the men in black coats beat him day after day. That air duct hadn't led to his freedom, but it had given him a future. After he'd finally left that hell behind, it seemed as if the life of a grease monkey would be ideal for him. But he hadn't noticed how all the techs were taken for granted. Every team in the Commission seemed to forget about the men and women who kept their precious Zoids and weapons tuned. There were no awards for techs, no ceremonies, and usually less pay than a warrior received. Leo hadn't fled a life without a name to just so he could be forced into another void. So he'd become a Zoid Warrior, just as the angry men had always wanted. And now he was back to being a tech, for the Blitz Team no less.

This isn't what I had in mind when I left, he thought. This isn't the life I wanted. He wanted his name to be on the lips of every admiring Zoids fan, for all people to see how skilled a pilot he was without ever taking the life of a Zoid. Zi was a planet of conflict, even the sky had shown violence against the people. It was naïve to think that Zoids would exist without battling, but people could take measures to lessen the killing. As long as Leo didn't take the life of a Zoid, he didn't feel guilty about knocking it unconscious. He'd just fix it later as an apology.

_Clang.___

Something metallic hit the floor nearby and Leo wondered if his weariness made him drop a part. But he realized he wasn't doing any maintenance. The sound had come from across the hanger, near an open garage door. A blond head of hair poked in from the outside and glanced around, not noticing Leo in Fang's shadow. The figure then vanished.

Intrigued, Leo slowly slipped off Fang, promising to return his partner to consciousness later, and stalked after the lurker. Outside a large truck with a crane hanging over the cargo bin backed towards one of the base's storage sheds. It was on the border of the base, nearly resting on the desert sand and looking as though it hadn't been touched in weeks.

Bit Cloud, the most renowned warrior on Zi, revered (and feared) by his peers slumped out of the driver's seat and skulked to shed's doorway. He then began to silently curse as he tried to pick the shed's lock. The idea that the victor of the Royal Cup and a Class S warrior would resort to sneaking and breaking in made Leo laugh aloud. Bit made a small yipping sound and whirled on him, a look of panic on his face.

"Hi." Leo felt a little silly waving hello after nearly scaring the man to death.

"Oh, it's you." Bit sighed. "I thought you were Doc or one of the others." He relaxed. "How's the head?"

"Throbbing, but at least I'm alive to feel it. Thanks for the save back there."

"Hey, don't mention it. I should be thanking you for saving my teammate. 'Course, if you wanna show your gratitude, you won't tell _anyone_ I was out here!" There was a desperation in his voice Leo couldn't understand. He peeked over Bit's shoulder at the forbidden shed.

"You got a dead body in there?"  
"No. I just... have some stuff."

"What? Naughty magazines?"

"NO!" Bit sighed. "Actually, it's empty right now. I want to use it to store these." He opened the back of his truck, which was crammed full of broken Zoids parts and weapons. All were coated in the fine grain of desert sand, and most looked like they'd take a substantial effort just to repair. Bit picked up on Leo's question even before he could ask. "When I left for vacation, I towed my truck behind Liger Zero. I wanted to spend some time salvaging stuff like I did before I joined the Blitz Team. This is how I make most of my money and it's… how I relax. I'm a drifter and I don't like being tied down too long, so getting out for a good salvage run helps me."

"Makes sense." Leo was a drifter as well, though not always by choice. "So, why are you hiding it all the way out there? There are storage areas in the hanger."

"Are you crazy?" Bit whirled on him, a fresh panic in his eyes. "Do you have any idea what Doc would do with all this stuff?" Now he was all weepy. The man changed moods faster than Leo could keep up. "When I first joined, Doc tricked me into signing away all my earnings to pay for Liger's conversion system. And when I tried to gather spare parts to sell for some extra cash, he found my stash and sold them all off to pay for maintenance. After all our wins and all those cash prizes, I still need to win at least thirty more matches to pay off my debts!"

He gripped Leo by the shoulders. "You haven't signed anything, have you? Tell me Doc hasn't trapped you too."

Okay, now this was scary. "Uh… no."

"Good. Don't sign _anything_. Let Jamie handle the paperwork."

"Yes, yes, fine. Please calm down." He gently shook off Bit's death grip. "So, why are you storing stuff in this particular shed?"

Bit grinned. "Glad you asked. I checked the base inventory just after we got back. There's nothing listed for this shed, so it must be empty. I can store my findings and fix them in just a few weeks, then sell them off. It's so far out of the way, no one will think to look here. Doc won't be the wiser and I'll finally have a little extra cash to line my pockets."

"What about your Royal Cup winnings? I thought you won a fortune."

Now he was sad again. "Doc used up most of it for Liger's parts and I spent the rest on vacation. It's so unfair." He resumed picking the lock. "I don't get it. This shed isn't being used, so it shouldn't be locked. And who made this thing anyway? I can't get it open."

"It helps if you have a key." Now both Bit _and_ Leo jumped. Brad had materialized out of nowhere.

"Where'd you come from?" Leo demanded.

"I tracked you two out of the hanger. Dinner's ready."

Bit wasn't interested in food. "Brad, who locked this shed?"

"I did."

"What? Why?"

"For these." He produced the key and opened the door, revealing his own stash of equipment. Unlike Bit's, this set was in far better shape. The parts were smooth and clean, obviously never used. Brad's cache was far smaller than Bit's as well. "These are parts from my old Command Wolf. After the Backdraft blew it up, I stashed these parts to sell off later. But I kept putting it off, so I moved 'em out here where Doc won't find 'em."

"No fair!" Bit huffed. "This was my idea since before I left."

"Tough. I'm king of this shed."

"You barely take up any space! There's room enough for both our parts!"

"True, but why should I share? I might want to use that space to store other things. I'd need to be compensated for the lost space."

"Don't give me that. If you think I'm gonna give you one coin-"

"Forty percent of all sales you make off parts stored here."

"No way. Five percent!"

"I'll make it thirty."

"Try half that!"

"In that case, I'll knock it down to twenty-five percent."

"Twenty, and that's it!"

"Deal."

Leo grinned. "Nice comradely around here."

Brad shrugged, as usual. "Just doing business."

"Profiting off my hard work is more like it. If I didn't need to keep Doc in the dark-"

"Oh, yeah, about that. I'll need some hush money as well."

"Hush money?"

"I might accidentally let knowledge about this storehouse slip out, you know."

"You heartless-"

"Twenty percent of all sales, non-negotiable."

Bit slumped his shoulders. "Fine, you win. Would you like my soul while you're at it?"

"Next time." Brad made Bit shake on their agreement.

"Hey," Leo had been examining the parts while the other two men broke the uneasy deal. "Are you willing to sell any of these parts right now?"

"Are you ready to buy right now?"  
"Fang's going to need a lot of repair work. It makes sense to install new parts now rather than have to rip him apart later. I don't have any money, though."

Brad pondered, then actually grinned. "Alright. Tell you what: I'll sell them to you on a discount, and you can pay me back over time by giving me a percent of the money you get from our teams winnings."

"How much of a percent?"

"Five percent."

"Five? _Five?_" Bit was understandably furious. "How come you're giving him a discount and going for the jugular with me?"  
"He fixes my Shadow Fox. What have you done for me lately?"

"I won the Royal Cup!"

"After I took out one of Vega's rotary blades, bought you the time to transform Zero, and smashed up my Shadow Fox in the process. Leo fixed it up without any _major_ problems." Did he really have to reference that again? "Don't start thinking you won the Royal Cup all on your own." Bit couldn't retaliate. Leo and Brad shook on the deal, and Brad carted off a crestfallen Bit to dinner. Leo opted to stay behind and transfer the parts to Fang. "You should eat." said Brad. "You won't be much good as a tech if you're passing out." Leo was noticeably pale.

"I already said I heal fast. In fact, I feel a lot stronger now. I'll be fine." Brad didn't argue the point further. While Leo searched out a cart to load and transport the supplies, he grinned at his good fortune. Modern Command Wolf parts at a discount, and he didn't need to pay up front. Just five percent shaved off his winnings… would take forever to pay off all this stuff. Leo paused and realized that Brad had just ensured that Leo would have to stay on with the Blitz Team longer than a year in order to pay off all this equipment. He'd been tricked. That didn't sit well with Leo, even though staying on didn't seem that bad. He liked these people; they were funny and easy going, and unlike any other team he'd ever met. And he wasn't about to pass up a chance to update Fang's equipment But to be tricked into staying on longer than he intended...

He was a wanderer, like Bit. But now he wasn't sure if he didn't actually choose to wander.

The Storm Sworder continued to slice through the air, even after a short nap. Such a long trip by a supersonic Zoid was truly a testament to the distance Kenneth Gray had traveled to retrieve Hancock. He couldn't see well out of the cockpit screens, but it looked as though they were over the Elma desert. But there were patches of green growing steadily larger as they progressed southward. They were heading to the very bottom of Europa, far beyond the boundaries of most prosperous city-states.

"Excuse me." He addressed the masked pilot sitting the lead chair. "How much farther?"

"Not long now, sir. Less than half an hour." He already knew the pilot was female. The uniform did little to hide her figure; but why was that voice so familiar? It raised a small alarm in Hancock's mind, yet he couldn't understand why. Had this pilot intended him harm, she could have easily forced him out of the cockpit in mid-flight, or dumped him while he slept. To spend all this fuel just to assassinate him far from any familiars made no sense. This unease did not come from fear for his life. Perhaps it was just nervousness. Mr. Gray had been very tight-lipped about the proposal, only that he need ride the Storm Sworder for a while, hear the proposition from the representative's superiors, and if he chose not to accept, they would fly him back. It seemed reasonable enough, though Hancock had not anticipated _this_ long of a trip, and he doubted anyone would want to take revenge on a retired Commissioner.

The land was much more prosperous now, although the towns far below looked unbearably crude. In the waning evening light, he could see the golden-colored tops of adobe and wooden homes, built around a town square. There were no cities or hubs this far south. Farming towns and ruins were the main feature. Even the people dressed as if they'd lived in a time warp. Given the local, Kenneth Gray's drab clothing now struck him as quite modernized. Whoever had arranged this trip had obviously been saving up a great deal of money to purchase everything from fuel to clothing; all to impress him. It was nice to know someone still appreciate him, even after Vaez and taken over all his former obligations. Hancock sighed and wondered how Cecilia's meeting with Paris would go. They would meet in a few hours. He would have liked to have seen his niece again.

"We've arrived." Hancock tired to peer over the pilot's shoulder. The… city (if one could call it that) was larger than any town seen thus far, but not due to any building. The structures were no taller than those of any other community seen on the trip. What distinguished this local was the towering wall that encircled the area. The octagon-shaped barrier stretched twice as high as the city it protected, and its surface was seamless, as if it had grown out of the ground as a whole. A thin ledge ran along the top of the wall, upon which Hancock could see people moving about. Such craftsmanship was far beyond anything capable among these poorer towns, and would be a waste of money. There was only one conclusion.

"Is that a..?"

"Yes, sir. That's a guardian wall Zoid. I believe you've seen one before?" Indeed he had. Oluga, the guardian wall of Mule, was a well known tourist site and one of the best defenses on Zi. Few of these strange Zoids had survived the great cataclysm. Those that had were coveted as the safest defense against bandits and even military units. Although they appeared exposed to aerial attacks, barrier Zoids had the ability to deploy energy shields that encircled the entire city. Nothing short of a Deathsaurer's charged particle cannon could break through those defenses. It was said that a barrier Zoid was the greatest guardian against both man, Zoid, and nature. "Arcadia's capital of Argos began in the middle of that barrier Zoid, Fylak. That protection drew many farmers, making it the most prosperous city in this region."

"'Fylak,' is that a Terran word?"

"Yes. From what I understand, it's adapted from a race of people called the 'Greeks.' Arcadia itself was named after an ancient Greek region. You'll get used to all the names."

"That presupposes I'll be staying for a long time."

"I have a feeling you will, sir. I know for a fact you're very committed to just causes." That raised an eyebrow, but not nearly so much as when Hancock spied one lone Zoid outside the city walls. At first he thought it to be a raid, except that the Zoid was facing away from the city as if to ward off any attack. But there was no mistaking that large boxy design, with the twin tusks glinting in the light and the cannons mounted at the end of a long trunk. Its dim purple paint scheme nearly hid it in Fylak's shadow, but Hancock was all too familiar with that Zoid to miss it.

"That's the Elephander!"

"It is. We keep in on guard duty most of the time. This area's plagued with bandits and it's not a good idea to rely solely on Fylak for protection."

"That's not the point! What is a Backdraft Zoid doing outside your city?"

"Guarding it, of course."

"I do not find this situation humorous, young lady." He tended to sound like a father when he was upset.

The pilot sighed. "I understand your feelings towards Backdraft Zoids and pilots, General Hancock, but you'd be surprised how much things have changed since the Royal Cup. This Storm Sworder itself came from the Backdraft, as did I."

Now he recognized her. She must have tucked all that neon-green hair under her flight helmet, and that mirror visor concealed her cool emerald eyes. For a moment Hancock pondered fighting for control of the vehicle and turning the Zoid around. But that would only succeed in a fast death, and now he wanted answers. "I never did know your name."

"Pierce, sir. My name is Pierce, and it's a pleasure to meet you. Now, hold on. We're landing."

The landing pad was brick square—cracked and broken from multiple takeoffs and landings—just outside the largest building, which barely stood a foot above its neighbors. Pierce disembarked first, removing her helmet and tossing it to one of the approaching service men. By the time Hancock stepped out, the Storm Sworder was surrounded by techs, fueling, measuring, and even polishing the Zoid for its next flight. Hancock glanced around for a Zoids hanger, which he discovered at the very rear of the city, protruding out of Fylak's side. The hanger was pitifully small and could service no more than three Zoids at a time, hardly enough to keep a military functioning. Then again, who was to say Arcadia even had a Zoid army? The techs servicing the Storm Sworder were unusually eager to perform their work, as if this was the first bit of activity in a very long period. Perhaps Arcadia suffered from a labor surplus, without enough goods to produce.

Pierce stepped beside him. "Since Ambassador Gray is still en route home, the captain of the guard escorting you to your meeting."

"And who might that be?"

"Me, sir." An older man with short silver hair and narrow eyes approached from across the pad. He was tall and lean, with a calm and composure found in most military commanders, even Backdraft. Hancock had no trouble placing this man. He'd actually spoken to him once before, a few weeks before the Royal Cup. He was the only Backdraft member to defect and join the ZBC as a legitimate contestant. It had taken quite a bit of convincing. It wasn't until Hancock had witness a video of this man blasting his Whale King out of a Backdraft base, and received the coordinates for the base itself, that he'd allowed Stigma Stoller to battle Bit Cloud in a one-on-one match.

"It's good to see you again, General Hancock." He held out his hand. Hancock didn't take it.

"I wish I could say likewise. Our last meeting left me in a difficult situation with my peers."

Stoller didn't appear phased. If anything, he seemed to have anticipated this reaction. "I understand. But I assure you I was not aware the Backdraft would attack in the middle of my match with Bit Cloud. I think their attacking my Elephander proves that I was not a part of the ambush."

"Perhaps." Hancock had actually argued that point himself. Stoller had seemed genuine, but the Backdraft was known for its scheming. "If you're here, who is piloting the Elephander outside?"

"That would be my chief aid Sanders. I believe you met him as well. I've retired from Zoid battles again. Now I am captain of the guard here in Argos. We don't want to be late for the meeting. Please follow me." Stoller thanked Pierce and started walking without waiting for Hancock. Reluctantly, the former Chairman followed a man who'd been his enemy a few months ago.

A Backdraft fighter pilot serving as transport, a Backdraft Warrior guarding the gates, and now a Backdraft captain of the guard. Who would be the head of this outpost? A resurrected Count Umbra perhaps? It seemed as though any criminal would appear next.

Stoller led him to the tallest building, which appeared to serve as both a home and center of government for the city. Stoller simply referred to it as "The Castle." While hardly living up to its name, the Castle was well furnished for a remote area. Carpeting and drapes, while plain, did add a small hint of elegance. Unable to vie for height, the Castle instead chose to draw attention to its length. The entire décor accented the stretching hallways and the space between rooms. The walk from the landing pad to the meeting place seemed as if it might take longer than the flight.

Already off-kilter, Hancock decided to abandon any pretense of disinterest. Besides, this walk was boring. "How is it that three Backdraft pilots are now members of a city's military force?"

"_Former_ Backdraft pilots, sir. And we're not a military force per se. We're more of a protection force. Aside from the Elephander we have no true offensive capability."

"Fine, but that doesn't answer how you came to be here."

Stoller didn't lose stride as he explained. "After my loss to Bit Cloud, Sanders and I went underground, avoiding punishment from the Backdraft for our betrayal. We met up with Pierce while watching the Royal Cup and decided to head as far south as possible. We intended to wait until the ZBC and Backdraft finished their battles, then return to more modern surroundings. We came upon Arcadia by chance, and soon after its rulers convinced us to stay on as members of the guard. Here inside Fylak, we are relatively safe from Backdraft attack, and we're so far out of the way that I doubt the Backdraft currently has the financing to assassinate us. That of course means that we're depending on the ZBC to finish off the Backdraft before they regain their financial backing."

"Then perhaps you should have brought Sen Vaez here. He controls the Battle Commission, not me."

"Vaez has his own plans for the future. We are hoping you can-" Stoller cut off with a light grunt as something rounded the corner and slammed into his legs. There was a loud thump and an outcry from what sounded like a child's voice. A twelve-year-old boy with spiked, fiery red hair was recovering from an unexpected trip to the floor. A tall and slender woman with flowing long hair of the same color as the boy's followed soon after.

"Atory! Are you hurt?" The woman was exceptionally beautiful, and wore a flowing dress that fit her regal manner. The golden medallion draping from her neck was the first piece of jewelry Hancock had seen in Arcadia. It suited her for some reason.

"I'm okay, Mom." The lad hopped up as if nothing had happened. The mother had not forgotten, however. She promptly grabbed his ear and presented him before Stoller.

"In that case, apologize to Captain Stoller!"

"Ow! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The woman released him, but kept a hand on his shoulder until he bowed formally.

Stoller almost grinned. "Prince Atory, running down the halls is behavior unbefitting royalty. If you're going to assume leadership of this Kingdom your father is building, you'll have to act the role."

"_Prince_?" Hancock could not believe the title. Royalty in this backwater region?

Stoller made the introductions. "This is Queen Angela Bethany Prasino and her son, Prince Atory Prasino."

"Greetings, General Hancock." The woman curtsied with the poise of many Guylos nobles. The boy's bow was far sloppier, but his intentions seemed true. "Welcome to Arcadia. I am glad you chose to accept our invitation."

"I have agreed to listen, nothing more." The declaration—or was it snapping—caught the "Queen" off guard. A small flash of pain appeared on her face, then quickly vanished as she recovered her poise. It struck Hancock that thus far he'd broken just about every rule a diplomat could set. He'd been inquisitive, direct—even rude, and allowed himself to be taken totally by surprise. Had he been serving as an envoy for the Zoids Battle Commission, this would be a true fiasco and a disgrace to his career. But I am not a representative for anyone but myself, he thought. I have no other responsibilities. It is these people who asked for me, my future is not linked to them. Still, Hancock had never been able to tolerate men and women who were unnecessarily rude. The shock of losing his position and having his future clouded had robbed Hancock much of his composure. He could admit he did not see much of a future with these people, but this was not a time to be harsh or blunt. If nothing else, Hancock was intrigued by this poor state that had worked so hard to deliver a message to him in person. No matter how wayward this adventure seemed, he would maintain the dignity he'd so cherished as a Commissioner. "I apologize. My words were too harsh. But I am not even sure what it is you ask of me. I cannot commit to anything until I learn more."

The Queen smiled. "I understand. We whisked you away so shortly after a dramatic change in your life. It is more than understandable that you feel somewhat off-center. But I think you will feel differently about our home once you speak with my husband."

"Madam, I don't think I've mentioned anything regarding your home." He gestured to the halls. "I think it is very beautiful."

"I was not referring to our house, or Castle as it is now called. This is the building we live in. Arcadia is our _home_, and you needn't say anything. I have met enough travelers to know how people from the central lands view our 'backwater' homelands. Those that have taken the time to stay and learn more have quickly changed their opinions." She indicated a pair of thick oaken doors at the other end of the hallway. "We should not keep King Prasino waiting."

She led him the rest of the way with Stoller following close behind. Prince Atory stayed silent his mother's side, but Hancock caught a couple of stray glances coming his way. The office she led him to was small and modest. Sparsely furnished with a map of Zi and a few books, plus several file cabinets. It looked more like a lawyer's office than a king's meeting chamber.

King Thomas Prasino was a powerfully built man, with hair as sharp as his son's, though a dark brown rather than the flame Atory had inherited from his mother. The King's face was etched in many premature lines and streaks of silver shot through his hair. Hancock had seen this type of face in the mirror every day while he was with the Commission as the Backdraft continued to cause problems. It was the look of a leader who sometimes felt as if everything might crumble beneath his feet, and everything he'd worked towards would vanish, discarding him into the void. Despite this aura, the man's handshake was powerful, and he spoke with confidence.

"Welcome to Arcadia, General Hancock. Thank you for accepting my invitation."

Hancock only nodded. "I was wondering what I'd do after retirement. I didn't expect a new proposal so soon. The timing is…"

"Suspicious." King Prasino finished for him. "I'll be the first to admit we were expecting you to be ousted."

Hancock blinked. Apparently he was not the only one violating protocol tonight. "And how did you reach that prediction?"

"Because Helic, Guylos, and now the ZBC are beginning to forget the older ways in favor of 'young blood.' I anticipated some backlash from the Royal Cup. That was why I made arrangements for your invitation and transport to my home. It is not that I doubt your leadership skills, General. On the contrary, I have need of them here in Arcadia. But the people of Zi are becoming more rash and headstrong every day. I'm sure you noticed it during the latter part of your term as ZBC Commissioner.

Hancock wanted to laugh. This was by far the most direct conversation he'd had with a dignitary in his entire career. Or was this man truly a dignitary? "You say that you need my leadership here in Arcadia. I doubt you want to turn the 'throne' over to me."

King Prasino chuckled. "I'm sitting in my throne right now. I can have it moved to your office if you join us and I can get a new one from the hallway. Tell me, General, what do you know about our small kingdom?"

Hancock had broken another rule of diplomacy: he hadn't researched his host. Although that would have been impossible given he didn't even know where he'd been headed. It was still uncomfortable to admit a lack of intelligence. "The Commission did not give much thought to this region. I ordered some of my assistants to keep an eye on events in the area should trouble arise, but nothing ever came up."

"That's more than many men would have done. You at least considered that we might pose a threat. After all, I am not the first man to crown himself king."

Strange. There was no venom to those words; no prodding or jabbing. This was not a joust, but an invitation. This king wanted to get the doubts out of the way before getting to the meat of the issue. "So you admit you don't have any royal birthright claims?"

"I find such ideas silly. If I presented you a vile filled with the blood of a Guylos noble, and a second filled with the blood of a commoner, I'm sure you'd agree there's no real difference. There's no genetic code for royalty, so there can be no true 'royal blood.' I made myself a king out of necessity, not from naked ambition or self delusion."

"'Necessity?' What need granted you the right to rule?"

Prasino leaned back, obviously ready for a long story. "Arcadia began with my father, a mayor in a city even more remote than Argos. We people of the far south are farmers and labor men. We have nothing technological to offer to the cities, and we cannot afford to have Zoids battles destroying our livelihood. Our crops are our lives, even though we cannot compete with other producers such as Mule. My father realized that while our options were limited, we could gain some strength if towns within the region united in an alliance. He began to negotiate with other community leaders to form the Arcadian Commonwealth."

"Why Arcadia? Is you family descended from Terran Greeks?"

"I do not know. Like many people, we cannot trace our lineage back to Earth. But my father did have a relic from humanity's cradle: a book of Greek Mythology." He nodded to a glass-encased book resting on the shelving across the hall. "The Terran Arcadia was a small region populated by farmers. There was no wealth, but there was life and peace, thus yielding happiness. We wanted to tap that same happiness.

"Unfortunately, I realized something that my father could not. Living in a powerless region means a man covets what power he has all the more. The other leaders were only going along with my father's plan to further their own ambitions. The agreements had not even been signed yet men and women were making deals and forming alliances within the shadows. I knew that my father's dream would soon waver and die a few months after he succeeded in uniting the towns. I began to take measures of my own. I visited all the potential Commonwealth towns and began to speak to the people in secret meetings. The more I traveled, the more seeds of uprising I planted."

Hancock wasn't sure he liked where this was going. Prasino's tale made him sound like a revolutionary fighting for the good of the people, but history was written by the victor. "And is that how you came to live in a city such as this?"

"Not entirely. It was relatively easy to sway the smaller towns to my side, but I did not need to take such action here in Argos. I quickly learned its leader was not one of the conspirators. But my plans would have surely fallen if we could not bring the most prosperous town in the region under our banner. I could not turn the people against their leader for it would be an act of tyranny. And besides, the leader was so loved by the people I doubt I could have done anything to trick them. You see, the leaders of Argos are also the caretakers of Fylak. Mother passes the role to daughter, and both parents handle the affairs of the city."

Hancock leaned forward. The people of Mule had a similar system of government based within Oluga. Protocol had forbidden him from inquiring such a domestic issue, but now there didn't appear to be any guidelines for this conversation. "Why only mother to daughter?"

"I can answer that question." Queen Prasino stood beside her husband. She held up the medallion from her neck. "This is no mere accessory. This is my link to Fylak. It allows me to tap into the Zoid's mind and ask it to raise or lower the shields whenever we need. I can also request Fylak to open and close the gates. This can only be handled by the women of my family due to the inherited trait."

"Trait?"

"Yes. I am descended from Ancient Zoidians. I hold less that a quarter of their genes within myself, but it is enough to stay in contact with Fylak. As the Zoidian bloodline grows thinner, the ability to touch the mind of the Zoid will also fade."

"And what will you do then?"

"We will hope that Fylak still loves us enough to protect us without our asking."

King Prasino chuckled and took his wife's hand. "I cannot see how Fylak could not love someone such as you, my dear." He kissed her hand and addressed Hancock. "Angela is the reason I was able to win Argos to my cause. I met with its leaders, hoping to persuade them to join. I had no idea I would fall in love with their daughter and inherit the reigns of power after we wed. With Argos' backing, I executed my carefully-laid plans and led the people in an uprising, taking power from the conspirator leaders and giving it all to my father. He refused to take the title of king and told me that I would have to finish my own grand designs. I think he felt betrayed that I had acted behind his back, even though I held his dream of unity close in my heart.

"My father is dead now. His health was never that good. I have tried to show him the justice in my plan by constructing a kingdom that could one day become the democracy he envisioned."

Hancock frowned. "You'd give up absolute control for an electorate?"

"Monarchies and totalitarian states are not known for being safeguards of justice, but they are efficient. With my wife and myself as the only two leaders of the kingdom, there is no danger of being blocked by a competitive political party. So long as we stay within the good graces of the people, we can continue to build unimpeded, or so we'd hoped."

"You have found a rival?"

"Several rivals. The biggest rivals you could imagine: the Helic Republic, the Guylos Empire, and your former change—the Zoids Battle Commission."

Author's Note:Prasinos is Greek for "life."Fylak is taken from Fylakas, which is Greek for "guard;" a fitting name for a barrier Zoid. Porto and Mule are locations mentioned in the Zoids Chaotic Century manga series, and the Guerrial Plateau was a site Van and Fiona visited in the anime series (thanks to for the information).


	7. The New Season

Battle Dawn

Chapter 7: The new season

by Silver

            Author's Note: Nothing big to report at the moment. This chapter begins to set the stage for the remainder of this story. I really appreciate all the reviews from my readers, both frequent and newly-interested. It's a great help.

            I've been working on two stories at once. This story, and a Digimon fan fic that I am quickly losing interest in and struggling to finish. I doubt I'd be very motivated to write if it wasn't for this fic. Thank you for reading it.  

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            "You're joking."

            "I can assure you, General Hancock, this is no joke." Prasino wasn't smiling, and there didn't appear to be any joviality in his demeanor. He was serious. 

            "You are going to compete with the three Zi superpowers?" The General felt blood drain from his face. What did they want him to do with all this? 

            "We don't have a choice." said the leader of a doomed struggle. "Both Helic and Guylos are making plays to acquire land on Europa. Currently, their efforts focus on the northern region, but negotiations are slow and they're beginning to target Southern Europa. If they can claim lands below their true target areas, they can apply more political pressure and gain twice as much territory. If they succeed, my small kingdom will be snuffed out before it ever has a chance to flourish." 

            "And you honestly think you can offer a better deal?" 

            Prasino sighed, stood up, and looked out the window at his capital city. "The truth is I've already offered a better deal. Whoever can offer the better protection for the territories will win the most allegiances. Helic and Guylos are offering protection _if_ they can establish permanent bases nearby; thus establishing a solid foothold to acquire more territories. We have offered to clear out the bandits without any strings attached, but no one is taking us seriously." 

            The General frowned. "How big a force do you have?" 

            "The Elephander, the Storm Sworder, several Zoids brought by Captain Stoller including a Rev Raptor and Saber Tiger, as well as a handful of construction Zoids." Hardly a force able to route bandits. They were nearly as tenacious as the Backdraft Organization and even the Elephander would struggle against such rouge groups.

            "That's not nearly enough. What about the Whale King Stoller brought you?"

            Captain Stoller cleared his throat. "Arcadia couldn't finance its servicing, so we stripped its arsenal to provide turret defense for other cities and used the main body as an outpost for a few units up north." 

            "You can't afford a Whale King, and you're attempting to outbid both Helic and Guylos?" 

            Prasino chuckled. "Insane, no? To even imagine that a tiny force such as ourselves could ever outdo governments that have existed for centuries… But I believe in Arcadia, General. I believe in its people and its untapped potential. Many of the people here are outcasts who weren't given an opportunity to shine in the larger areas. There are scientists, politicians, teachers, soldiers, heroes. They're all here, waiting for the chance to show their true selves. I want to give them that chance, and to do that I must build on Arcadia's power. The more land and allies we gain, the more financing we produce and the more our people can shine." 

            The General sighed. This had gone on long enough to beg the question, "What do I have to do with your designs?" 

            The King turned to face him. "I am new to ruling, General. I read up on the subject, I have the advice of Kenneth Gray, I have my wife's support, but I have little experience. Ruling a Kingdom means managing resources and changing things to improve efficiency. I am overwhelmed at the moment just trying to gain allies. I need your help. I want to make you Chancellor of Resources. I want to draw on your vast experience of managing the ZBC in order to help straighten out the logistics of my kingdom. I am positive you can help us cut out the unnecessary spending and channel resources to where they are most needed."

            Hancock pondered this for a moment. It was an enticing offer: to build a kingdom here on the edge of non-allied territories. But he was Helic by birth. He'd worked his whole life climbing through the Helic ranks until he'd earned a transfer to the ZBC; and then he'd worked his way up to Commissioner. When you joined the Commission, you abandoned your allegiance to one government in favor of the good for all Zi. That was one of the most sacred rules to working the ZBC. But he couldn't forget the land of his birth, and who was to say that Arcadia had Zi's best interests in mind? 

            "I cannot betray both the Helic Republic and the Zoids Battle Commission. If I joined you, I'd be working against them." 

            "Are you sure about that?" 

            What an odd question. "You've said yourself that they are your rivals. Although, given your current state, I think calling them your rivals is an overestimation of your abilities." 

            Prasino nodded solemnly. "You may be right, but as I have said, I believe in Arcadia's potential. However, General, even if we compete with these powers for land ownership, we can still be aiding them in the process." 

            "I don't follow you." 

            "Both Helic _and_ Guylos are trying to gain territories, with the ZBC moderating disputes. As a member of both ZBC and the Helic army, I'm sure you understand the importance of controlling Northern Europa." 

            Indeed he did. Due to the strong magnetic field along the Triangle Daras, oceanic travel between Helic and Guylos was nearly impossible. Arial transport didn't suffer as badly, but the cost of shipping and trade by air soon reached astronomical proportions. Neither county could function without trading, and to do so they had to use Northern Europa as a transit route. Whoever controlled that territory had a monopoly on most trading on Zi. 

            Prasino continued. "Both countries are devoting all their resources to the acquisition of new land. Nyx's land is divided into difference ownerships that the island might as well fall apart from its division. The upper class no longer has any lands to supply more wealth. Emperor Kamuffel wants to gain Europa territories so he can appease the nobles and gain support for his other agendas. President Vereor is hoping new land acquisitions will bolster the Republic's faltering economy and quell his critics. Do you disagree with my summary of the situation?" 

            The General nodded. For such a remote local, Prasino definitely stayed well-advised of the global situation. Hancock had seen the exact same trends while he had moderated the ZBC. Both Kamuffel and Vereor were impossibly difficult to work with. Kamuffel thought he was right and everyone else just needed to realize it. Vereor was surprisingly paranoid and claimed bandits and terrorists hiding in Europa were poised to strike all nations in order to topple their governments. Hancock had never figured out if the President actually believed that, or if it was just an excuse to gain new land. 

            Prasino continued, "Both countries are headed for a collision. As each one bids to gain territory, they will move progressively closer until they begin to quarrel over the same patch of land. I, for one, no longer trust the ZBC to moderate such a dispute. Sen Vaez does not seem interested in such matters." Again, Prasino had reached the same conclusion as Hancock. "As clashes become more and more apparent, tensions will build and I have no doubt that war will eventually break out once again. Europa was trapped in the middle of the last struggle between Helic and Guylos. I do not wish to see it crushed again. Arcadia offers people an alternative to being caught in a war, and its presence might help moderate the other two countries far better than the ZBC ever could. Think about it, General. Some of the best governments in the past have relied on triumvirates to govern. There can be no deadlock with three powers involved. The ZBC tries to fill the third void, but the very structure of the Commission draws strength from Helic and Guylos. It cannot be self-sufficient. Arcadia is the third power that Zi needs. We can help avert war."

            "Or you might make it worse!" 

            "Indeed we might. But that is the choice before you, Ex-Chairman Hancock. If you turn down our offer, we will escort you back to Helic to sit at a desk and watch as the planet plunges into madness. My small kingdom will probably die out while Helic and Guylos tear each other apart and then must rebuild. Or you can work with us towards an uncertain future. We may avert a war, or we may cause one. But without your help I doubt we'll ever truly know the answer."

            Hancock was silent for a long time. This was madness, pure and simple. A tiny kingdom with no wealth or defense to offer could never vie for the loyalty of Europa's city-states. They'd be outbid every time and eventually fade away. At best, they might prove enough of a nuisance to slow Helic and Guylos' efforts. If he joined with them, he'd be committing career suicide.

            But his career seemed to be over already. Vaez was in charge of the ZBC now, and Hancock did not trust that schemer to hold Zi together. If he did join with Arcadia, could he somehow hinder Vaez's plans? Was it possible to use Arcadia's efforts to protect Zi from a leader he did not trust? It was selfish and cruel to use a country's ideals to achieve an alternate end, but it seemed a lesser evil than allowing Vaez to do as he pleased. Hancock could work against Vaez from the outside while Richard and Celina sabotaged him from within. Yes, that could work. I am not the ZBC Chairman anymore, he thought, but I am still loyal to Zi. 

            He chose his words carefully. "I'm willing to review your resources and give you some advice, but nothing permanent just yet."

            Prasino nodded, "That is all we can ask right now. Captain Stoller will escort you to a bedroom. We'll have all the information ready for you first thing in the morning." Hancock bid this self-appointed King and his family goodnight, and followed after the former criminal out the door. What a strange place this was. Its rulers welcomed fugitive criminals into their "royal guard" and tried to outdo the planet's superpowers. There seemed to be an idealism to this place that Hancock himself had felt in his younger days. How sad that this kingdom would soon face the harsh truth. At least it could help aid the future of Zi, even if it did not survive to see it. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Prasino leaned back in his chair, weary. Arthur Hancock was not a man to underestimate. His reputation as a strong negotiator was well deserved. Angela moved over and massaged her husband's shoulders, easing the tension. Her very touch invigorated him, reenergizing him for at least a few moments. 

            "You did well." She smiled. "I think we'll win him over yet." 

            Prasino looked over at his son, who'd been sitting quietly in the corner, watching everything. "And you, Atory? What do you think of General Hancock?" 

            The young boy scratched his head. "Well… he seems okay, but I don't think he believes in Arcadia like you do, Dad." Such familiarity. Kenneth Gray had advised all of them to act formal in public to build the people's respect of their station, but hearing the word "dad" was far too great a pleasure to sacrifice. 

            "I agree, son. He probably views us as a dim flash in the greater light of Zi's future."

            "I sensed he was planning to use us for his own agenda." said Angela. 

            Prasino nodded. She was usually right about such things. "He many very well. But we are using him to build our future. We cannot begrudge him a personal stake." 

            "We're making use of his talents, that's far different than using him as a person." 

            "Yes, Angela, but as the old saying goes 'beggars can't be choosers.' I believe that Hancock will see the good in Arcadia; and even if he does not abandon his own aims I think he will come to love this place as we do."

            "Dad?" Atory joined his parents by their side. "Do you think we can really beat Helic and Guylos? Everything you said about them makes 'em sound really strong." 

            "We don't call them 'Superpowers' without reason. The General is right when he views our goals as lofty at best. But Atory, you must never think that our goal is to defeat our neighboring countries. No matter how well we fare, Helic and Guylos will win territories of their own. We cannot be everywhere at once. They will gain land, as will we." Hopefully, he thought. "Our goal is to gain enough land to prosper and to prevent Helic and Guylos from starting another war. A ruler must always protect his charges, but sometimes he is also called on to protect his neighbors from themselves." 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            A collective rumbling of the Blitz Team's stomachs could be heard throughout the entire base. 9:00 and they still hadn't eaten. Jamie was moving as fast as he could, complaining all the way, but the meal would still be a few more minutes. Bit was unusually sullen for his return home, and kept giving Brad venomous looks. Brad either didn't notice or most likely didn't acknowledge Bit's attitude. 

            Leena herself was trying not to lose her mind while her father rambled on about this "Mad Thunder" model he'd just gotten. Something about a fortress Zoid and big guns. Leena wasn't interested in heavy arsenals unless she was the one aiming them. She realized that Leo wasn't here, and hoped that might divert her father. 

            When she pointed out Leo's absence, Bit and Brad explained he was still fixing his Command Wolf. Her father frowned, "After all those wounds he received? That's not healthy." 

            Brad shrugged. "He insisted. Said he healed fast and would be fine." None of them believed that.

            "That reminds me," Jamie said from the kitchen. "Leo hasn't shared many meals with us since he got here. He usually eats the leftovers after we're done." 

            Dad nodded. "I'm guessing he's just not ready to spend a great deal of time with us. It's not easy adapting from such a solitary life." 

            "Solitary life?" asked Leena. "What do you mean?" 

            "I did some checking on Leo's history through the Zoids Battle Commission records. And you know what I found?" 

            Everyone leaned in, eager to hear. "What?" 

            "Absolutely nothing." The rest of the team nearly fell on the floor from disappointment. "It's as if Leo and his Command Wolf just materialized out of nowhere. No birth certificate, no family links, no birthplace. I couldn't find out anything about him before he was about eleven."

            "Okay," Bit asked, "so what's he been doing the last nine years?" 

            "Bouncing from place to place, mainly. He worked for a while as a technician for Zoids and was highly recommended, but then he abruptly quit and tried to become a warrior. He's been on more teams than anyone else I know, and rarely stays on more than a few months. From what I've gathered, I'd say the teams all tried to turn him into the team mechanic, and he left in protest. So as you can see, Leo isn't used to being with people. He doesn't stay in one place very often and doesn't seem to make a lot of friends. I think that Command Wolf is the only constant in his life." 

            "Poor Leo." Leena actually felt sorry for the guy. "I had no idea. I mean, with a life like that, you'd think he'd act more like Brad." 

            "What's that supposed to mean?" Mr. cool-and-distant arched an eyebrow. Leena didn't bother replying. 

            Bit nodded. "Yeah. Even with such a lonely life, Leo's pretty nice." 

            "You're saying I'm not nice?" Brad was getting uncharacteristically upset. 

            "At least Leo doesn't swindle people out of their money." Both men growled at each other.

            Dad was unfazed by all of this. "What I find most interesting is Leo's resemblance to Vega." 

            "Vega?" Bit asked. "What do you mean?" 

            Brad sighed. "You mean you didn't notice it? The hair color? The shape of his face? His eyes are different, but the resemblance is there." Bit was totally clueless. Honestly, if it didn't have anything to do with Zoids it went right over Bit's head.

            Leena snapped. "Leo looks like a grown-up Vega! How could you not notice?" 

            Bit's eyes lit up. "Oh! Now that you say it, I can see it. That is weird. Think they're brothers?" Everyone sighed. 

            "I doubt he's related to Vega." said Leena's father. "After all, they don't appear to share the same skill for piloting, and the ZBC would have contacted Leo if they had his little brother in custody. Besides, that hair color doesn't quite match. It doesn't look like a dye job, but it doesn't look quite natural either." 

            Brad said, "It could just be a coincidence."

            "Whatever the case, I don't think we should mention the resemblance to Leo." Jamie finally came in with plates of food. "I don't think he feel good if we mentioned how he looked like a Zoid Warrior prodigy. He's still working on his confidence." 

            Brad nodded, "He certainly had enough trouble with that today." All eyes turned towards Leena, and she knew what they meant. She'd been thinking about that the whole evening. After all the snide remarks and jabs at Leo's expense, he'd come to her rescue as those weird Zoids had been set to kill her. He'd pulled off a Class S move, and saved her in the process. Now she looked like the bad guy for having ripped on him the whole time. It wasn't like she'd been lying; he wasn't that good a pilot. At least, that's how it'd seemed at first. But he did make it past most of them on Leon's obstacle course… and he had saved her life. Oh jeez. 

            Leena picked up her still-warm plate and headed for the door. "Could you fix me another plate, Jamie?" 

            "Uh, sure." Her father's grin contrasted the Jamie's confused look. 

            As Leena neared the hanger, she could hear a growl. "Welcome back, Fang. How you feeling?" For a minute, Leena actually expected to hear a reply. Stupid, only the Liger Zero ever talked to its partner. Leo was way too obsessed with his Zoid. But then she remembered what her father had said. That Zoid was the only constant in Leo's life. No wonder he spoke with it. 

            Leo was sitting in the Command Wolf's ruined cockpit, rewiring as much as he could. There was an odd assortment of parts laid out near the Wolf. Had Leo already ordered parts? Then she recognized the long-range heavy cannon that was set to replace the standard lasers. Leo must have gotten some of these parts from Brad. Leo himself was covered in grease and fluid up to his elbows. Leena paused a moment to admire how strong his arms looked. There were a few faint scars running down his arms, though they were barely noticeable and didn't detract from his physic. Come to think of it, he actually looked pretty good. 

            But he was paler than he should be. "You trying to kill yourself?" 

            "Huh?" Leo looked up from the cockpit, confused by the new voice. "Oh… hi." 

            "Don't 'hi' me. Get down here." Leena had perfected her command tone long ago. Even Leon had succumbed to it once or twice. Leo reluctantly slid out from the cockpit. Now it was time for her lecturing tone. "What on Zi makes you think you can work on a Zoid without food after having lost all that blood? I honestly don't know if you're suicidal or stupid." 

            "Probably both." Leo reached from the tray. Leena snatched it back.

            "Wash your hands and arms first!" Back to the command tone. Honestly, how had this guy survived so long on his own? Rather than make Leo waste more energy going to sink, Leena brought a bucket of water, soap, and a rag. She didn't turn over the food until she inspected his arms herself. "You're hopeless." 

            "Yeah, yeah. You keep reminding me." Leo ate ravenously. Leena stood awkwardly for a moment, not quite sure what to say. Finally, she decided to sit down next to him and lean against the Command Wolf's leg.

            "I'm sorry." She said.

            "Uck?" Leo nearly choked on his meal.

            "I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time today. I'm not going to promise that I won't do it again because you still have a long way to go as a pilot. But I was wrong to keep chewing you out and I really am grateful for you saving me. So… I just wanted to say sorry." 

            Leo was silent for a good while. Probably thinking of some quip to throw her way. Bit and Brad always did that whenever Leena argued with one of them. Their conflicts always fizzled out or got lost when something grabbed the team's short attention span. "Thanks." 

            Now it was Leena's turn to be surprised. 'Thank you' wasn't a phrase tossed around much by this team. It wasn't that they weren't grateful for each other, but they didn't say that a lot. "For the food or…" 

            "For both. I appreciate the food, definitely; and I'm really glad to hear you apologize. I gotta admit it's not something I expected." 

            "Yeah…" Leena couldn't begrudge him that. She'd been mistreating him all day. Feeling a little uncomfortable with herself, Leena stood up and dusted off her skirt. "I'm going back to dinner now. Wanna join me?" 

            "I'm used to having my meals with Fang." 

            "We're not bad company either." 

            Leo grinned. "I don't doubt it." 

            "It's okay to admit you're nervous around us, you know." Leo didn't reply. "When you're ready, we'll have a seat saved for you." She left without waiting for a reply. The others had already started eating before she returned. That was how this team worked. Everyone liked each other, but they all operated independently. Somehow, by the weirdest twist of fate, their different styles complimented each other. Leo was different, though. His style didn't blend with theirs, but he still tried hard. She'd have to remember that the next time he had trouble. 

            Her father was casting sideways glances and grinning at her. He had that 'I know what you've been up to' looks. She sat down. "Shut up and pass me the steak." 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Richard Paris' first impression came not from his eyes, but rather his ears. He sat in his office, waiting for the General's niece to arrive when he heard someone in the hallway issue a wolf whistle. His first reaction was anger. Men in the ZBC should show both restraint and respect when regarding members of the opposite sex. Such behavior was unbecoming an officer. But he forced himself to calm. It was late in the afternoon and most people where either tired from a long days work or coming in to start the always dull night-shift. He'd learned a long time ago that a superior officer should not terrorize his subordinates with strict military protocol every single minute. Some things had to slide. 

            What he didn't expect to hear was a muffled thump and an outcry from the same voice that had whistled. Paris was about to step outside and investigate when the door slid open and the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen stepped in.

            No one could make the Zoids Battle Commission uniform look as form fitting as Celica Lucraft. Her shirt seemed a size too small and left a small midriff exposed while the slit in her skirt exposed just a bit too much of her thigh. Most officers would condemn this as indecent dress code but if the General was right about his niece then Ms. Lucraft probably had ways of diverting their objections. Paris had to admit he didn't mind the look himself. Her chocolate hair bangs draped over two metal clips just above her eyebrows, and her braided pony-tail ended with a large metal ring, some new fashion that was gaining popularity. She had eyes the color of the sky that seemed to draw him in, and there was a sweet scent about her. 

            It occurred to Paris that he was staring, and that this woman didn't dress like that just to show off. By simply entering the room, she'd taken him completely off guard. How much had she discovered about him in that one instant? 

            She saluted. "Colonel Paris, sir. First Lieutenant Celica Lucraft reporting as ordered." Her voice was youthful and energetic, but possessing a confidence that he rarely found in someone her age. He motioned for her to sit down, and tried not to notice the way her body moved. She was like water. 

            He tried to regain focus. "I heard some kind of ruckus outside." 

            "One of the night shift officers forgot his place and made a 'remark' to a superior officer."

            "And that outcry I heard?"

            "The Private is on his way to the infirmary with a possible broken nose." 

            Paris was wary now. "Won't that raise _concerns_?" Meaning she was drawing too much attention.

            "No, sir. Someone like that will never admit that a woman caused such an injury. Besides, any such complaint could be lost in the file system quite easily." 

            Before sitting, she removed a thin metal rod from her hair and set it on the table. Small braces folded out and kept the rod upright as a red light flashed at its tip. "A micro jammer, courtesy of ZBC Special OPS. I confiscated this from a commander who was planning on selling the schematics to the black market. We won't have to worry about listening devices, and I see you have already covered the window to avoid lip-readers." 

            Impressive. But then she was evaluating him as well. "I tried finding your profile, but there was none. I take it you have something to do with that?" 

            "My profile changes on an almost monthly basis. I've had anywhere from two years experience and then suddenly dropping to a complete novice. I also have had several towns and cities mentioned as my birthplace."

            "I see. I'll need some kind of information regarding my comrades, however." 

            She produced a report from the metal portfolio resting on her lap. It appeared to be a personnel file drawn from multiple reports. She was only 22 yet had several degrees in Zoid Mechanics and Ancient Zoidian studies. She was fluent in the old Zoidian tongue and even spoke some ancient Terran. Previous assignments included researching prototype weapons systems, locating and routing bandit camps, and even serving as a personal aid to several high ranking officers. Paris recognized the link this young woman had to some of the potentially worst embarrassments to the ZBC. Each of these assignments had ended in tragedy for the respective commander. The prototype had nearly been leaked to outside sources before MPs could arrest the head scientist, the raid leader had been on the bandit's payroll, and all of the officers she'd served had been corrupt, greedy, and lecherous. General Hancock hadn't been lying about this vengeful ghost. One final odd note was a psychiatric evaluation noting that this young woman seemed to have a preoccupied infatuation with Zoid Warriors. 

            "This is accurate?" 

            Ms. Lucraft nodded. "That is probably the only true dossier regarding myself. I'd appreciate it if you burnt it after we are finished here." She produced another file. "I've done some research on you as well. Born in city Lipzenberg. You are the son of a Guylos general and a Helic ambassador; a very uncommon occurrence. Age: 47. You spent twelve years in the Guylos army working your way up to Lieutenant-Colonel before receiving approval for your transfer request to the ZBC. As per ZBC custom you worked your way up the ranks once again until you reached Colonel, although you may be promoted to Brigadier General soon. Fifteen years after joining you were considered one of only two possible candidates to succeed General Hancock. You are working on no less than several top-secret projects including the new Buster Eagle prototype being constructed with the aid of the Helic military. I imagine this feels rather odd seeing as how you are half Helic but have spent your life in Guylos, both geographically and military." 

            "There is no division within the ZBC. We serve all Zi." He suddenly realized that this had turned into his own evaluation. He had expected to learn more about this young woman before him, yet now she tested him. 

            Ms. Lucraft continued with her review. "Your critics site you as being 'enslaved' to military protocol and despite many innovative battles they consider you unable to think outside whatever regulations dictate. Have I missed anything?" 

            "You missed the part where you ask my permission to read such a file." 

            "I see." 

            Paris was already abandoning much of what he held in high regard to take part in this two-person conspiracy. He did not intend to disregard the chain of command as well. "I don't think you do, Ms. Lucraft. Have I passed this little evaluation of yours?"

            Something dangerous came over her face. "I'm not sure, _Mr_. Paris. My uncle was very well aware of where the military's rules ceased to be a guard and became a deterrent. He knew when to cross those lines. I'm not sure you do." 

            "I am well aware of the limits of regulations. But where your uncle and I differ is that I find ways to work within the regs without forcing myself to cross over. I have great regard for General Hancock and learned much from him, but I am not a carbon copy." 

            Ms. Lucraft nodded. "Fair enough." 

            "Furthermore, this is the last time I will allow you to test me. The General arranged our meeting so that I could gain an ally against Sen Vaez. He did not have you come here to see if I was 'worthy' of your aid. You may either accept me as your superior officer, or you may leave and I will work on my own." 

            She arched an eyebrow. "Is the chain of command really necessary with only two people?" 

            "_Especially _with two people. In a group of three, there is little danger of a deadlock. But when two people work together, they can very easily clash and stagnate over a disagreement. We may face difficult decisions in the near future, with little time for debate. When that moment comes, I want it to be clear that _I _make the final decision and take responsibility for it. Are we clear?"  
            Ms. Lucraft was silent for a moment. He could tell she was not used to be addressed so directly. Her movement, her dress, her beauty; all were tools designed to hold sway over the men she investigated. She probably used other skills to distract any female officers she shadowed. But Paris could not afford to be taken in by physical beauty. He needed a clever mind, which this woman possessed. Now he just needed her loyalty. There would be no time for second-guessing. 

            "We are clear on one condition. I may not have undergone formal training, but I have spent a good deal of my childhood and my adult life within the military. I have earned many stations above my rank, so I do not think it is unreasonable for you to address me as Lieutenant. I am not a civilian playing soldier."

            Paris nodded. "Very good, Lieutenant. I'm pleased to see you respect the title." 

            "My uncle always taught me the importance of the military in keeping both people and Zoids safe. He loves Zoids as much as I do." 

            "Yes, I noticed your dossier mentions an interest in Zoid Warriors. Why join the military? With your background, I doubt you'd have trouble piloting anything short of a Gojulas." 

            Ms—no—Lt. Lucraft smiled. "I was thinking of enrolling myself in the Gojulas piloting school before General Hancock told me about you. I can pilot just about anything from a Molga to a Blade Liger. But I prefer my Konig Wolf."

            Paris arched an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware those were being mass-produced." 

            "They aren't yet. But the Lieutenant General that commandeered the Wolf no longer has use of it. He suffered a broken jaw and was sent to prison for trying to force himself on a female officer. I figured he wouldn't be needing it, so I changed the ownership papers." 

            "I see. But that still doesn't answer my question." Even thought she had agreed to follow his lead, Lt. Lucraft was still trying to see how far he was willing to go off-topic. Perhaps she was too deep in the habit of manipulating officers. Or perhaps the test continued.

            She took a deep breath. "I love Zoids, and I deeply admire Zoid Warriors. Many possess a skill and devotion that few can match. But they can't do much to protect Zoids. The only Warrior I know of who has worked to protect the safety of people and Zoids is Bit Cloud." Paris noticed a slight blush when she mentioned that name. Her dossier did say she had an infatuation with Zoid Warriors, but she didn't seem the type to let such a trait show unless she wanted it to. She was confirming that everything she had presented him with was true. She hadn't falsified her profile. "But I can't help protect Zoids by participating in battles."

            Paris nodded. "Lieutenant, what purpose do you think Zoid Battles serve?" 

            The danger was back in her eyes. "Are you testing _me_ now, sir?" 

            "No. But I am curious for your thoughts." She seemed to take that well enough. This was not an easy conversation. They kept slipping between hostility and professional tolerance.

             "Zoid Battles have multiple functions. They stimulate the economies of Helic, Guylos, and the independent city-states. They provide entertainment for the masses. But more importantly, they keep the peace and prepare us for war. A Zoid Warrior is more willing to fight for fame and money in an official battle than to scrape out a life as a bandit, and people who watch a battle can release any pent-up aggressions by watching someone else fight. Humans have always used such entertainment as an outlet for violent urges. And since successful Zoid Warriors improve with each battle, we have a pool of skilled fighters should we ever need pilots for full-fledged warfare."

            "You are one of the few people who understand that." Paris complimented. "But can the ZBC protect Zoids as you say?" 

            Lt. Lucraft nodded. "Most definitely. We arrange orderly fights whereas in the past it was one violent, random conflict after another. Very few Warriors ever suffer personal injury, and there's no collateral damage. We cut out sources for negative use of Zoids and provide healthy outlets. I joined the ZBC to make sure we never have to call on Warriors to fight a war." 

            Paris nodded absently. Despite the rough start, they shared very similar views. "I do not trust Sen Vaez to perform such a task. In truth, I see him tearing down the safeguards we've worked so hard to build. He must be kept in check, and to do that I need information. That is where I need you, Lieutenant. I need you to check on Vaez's movements, and those of his subordinates. Help me stay one step ahead."

            "That won't be easy, sir." She handed him another file. "I tried a brief hack of Vaez's main computer today. He's encrypted it with codes that could only have been made by a top-skill programmer. When I finally gained access, I found very little but his schedule a few files on personal and ZBC resources. He either keeps his main plans in a separate computer, or has them all in his head."

            Paris took the file and studied it for a moment. The first was a report on Vaez's personal accounts and resource allocation. It was as professional a report as he'd seen in many ZBC briefings. Lt. Lucraft did indeed deserve her title, if not more so. Vaez had an exceptionally high saving account, far more than an officer with several years his experience. All of his biographical information seemed suspiciously normal, most likely falsified. His most prominent work was the development of a new weapons platform Zoid, the Cannon Fort. He'd built it using the wreckage of a fallen Zoid. More importantly, the Zoid had been completed, and was being transported to a base located near the Valley of the Rarehertz. 

            "Lieutenant, is there a special technician or officer at the Rarehertz base who will finalize this 'Cannon Fort's' development?"

            "No, sir. The Zoid is already finished, but untested. Its destination is very curious in both location and timing. The Valley of the Rarehertz is miles from any major city, but close enough to the Blitz Team's base. Furthermore, all the ammunition in that area was bought up last night." 

            "_All_ of it?" 

            "Yessir. There's not a bullet left in the entire area, and the Blitz Team hasn't yet restocked for the start on the new season. They'll be severely limited in their battles, especially considering how much ammo their Gun Sniper pilot uses."

            "Do you think Vaez is trying to hold sway over the Blitz Team?" 

            "None of the stores listed him as a buyer, but I wouldn't be surprised. There's something else unusual about the timing. The Rarehertz base is home to the Eveopolis Excavation Project. Vaez ordered the digging to be delayed to coincide with his visit and the arrival of the new Zoid." 

            Paris frowned. He'd kept a loose eye on the EEP over the years, but hadn't given it much thought. The Project was years behind schedule due to Rarehertz bursts overloading Zoids and equipment at the base. The last word from the base was that they were finally about to breech through to the Ancient Zoidian city, and possibly see Zoid Eve herself. But what had that to do with the Blitz Team and this new Zoid? There wasn't enough information, and not enough time to go and spy. Vaez had already left according to his itinerary. 

            "I want you to gather as much information as you can regarding the base, and what Vaez is doing there. Bad enough he's the head of the ZBC, I don't want him dabbling in Ancient Zoidian findings as well." 

            Lt. Lucraft nodded, stood, and saluted. "Leave it to me, sir." She picked up the micro jammer and replaced it in her hair, then departed.  

            Paris slumped in his chair, exhausted and a little disappointed. He had not gotten off to a good start with his new ally, and he doubted they'd have the close friendship Paris shared with General Hancock. Lt. Lucraft was a tool for gathering information. She had proven herself very capable and methodical in a short amount of time. But she had not expected much from him, and he had responded with hostility. Such meetings were rarely the basis for a lasting friendship. Ah well, it wasn't as though his goal was the make a new friend. Find out Vaez's plans and stop them if necessary. There wasn't anything else he needed to worry about. 

            He took out a small lighter and torched the report on Celica Lucraft, ghost of the ZBC.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Daylight reflected off the remains of Fang's transparent canopy, stinging Leo in the eyes and forcing him awake. For a moment he'd forgotten where he was, but now the Blitz Team's hanger was becoming a more familiar site. He must have dozed off while handling repairs on Fang. The blood lost had drained a lot of his strength. He hadn't even had the energy to dream. That was very good. 

            The tray that Leena had brought him rested nearby. Just looking at it brought pleasant memories, which overshadowed the previous day's trials. Leo did a double-check on the repairs he'd effected and decided he'd done all he could for Fang. The readout display was still shattered, and the canopy cracks needed sealing. Plus there was the damage to Fang's side, but most of Brad's parts would be able to make effective repairs. Fang would just have to make due until Leo could buy some less-critical equipment. 

            Wishing his partner a good rest, Leo crawled out of the cockpit and headed for the kitchen, famished. But as he approached the rest of the team was already scrambling past him. 

            "Good morning, Leo." Jamie had those veins bulging again. 

            "Morning." Brad was moving with a definite purpose. Bit could only yawn his greeting. 

            Leena grabbed him by the collar and yanked. "Come on." 

            "Hey! Wait a minute! Where are we going?" 

            "Shopping." What? 

            Leo was suddenly on a jeep headed for the nearest town. Something about this didn't settle well with him, or his stomach. He was so hungry. "Mind telling me why I'm going along on your errand?" 

            "I need someone to help me load up supplies, and you're the only one who isn't busy." 

            "What's everyone else doing?" 

            Leena sighed. "This is why you need to spend more time with us. You're totally clueless right now. The ZBC just announced their plans for the new season, and it's not pretty. Since most of the Judges and all the satellites were destroyed by the Backdraft, the new battles are going to be held in specific locations. That means that instead of the judges coming to meet the teams, we have to travel all over Europa, heading for the battle sites. Any team that's late is considered a forfeit." 

            Leo nodded, "Makes sense." Damn it. That meant he'd be sleeping somewhere new almost every day. The nightmares wouldn't stop. 

            Leena continued, "Since we can't go back to the base to restock after every battle, by Dad's making us all stock up on supplies and equipment. Jamie's handling registration and balancing the budget. Bit and Brad are loading up the Hover Cargo with all the Zoids and parts we have. Don't bother asking, they'll load your precious Command Wolf too. You and I are going to buy food, parts, and ammo. Since I need an extra pair of hands to carry all that stuff, you're coming with me." 

            "What about Doc?" 

            Now she was angry. "He's loading all his toys and models into his cabin. I can't take along a dress or anything, but he gets to bring all his junk. How is that fair?" Leo just hunkered down and let his stomach speak for him. Leena fished one hand into a brown bag she'd brought along and handed him an apple. "Eat up." Leo did. 

            The drive to town was long and quiet. Neither person started a conversation, which left Leo uncomfortable. He couldn't tell if Leena was still shaken from everything that happened last night or if she just didn't want to talk. Having spent so many hours alone with Fang, Leo wasn't all that accustomed to conversation, so it was more than a little odd that silence was troubling him. It occurred to him that it was his comfort level with Fang that enabled him to enjoy such silence. He didn't have that with Leena. "So do you know what we're supposed to get?" 

            She handed him a list. "Jamie worked out our budget last night. He wrote down _everything_." Indeed he had. In his usual efficient manner, Jamie had listed every last item they needed, from the most explosive missile shell to dental floss. When Leo complimented Jamie's work, Leena nearly veered off the road. "Are you kidding me? Do you see how much money he gave me for my ammo? I won't make it through a single battle with that!" 

            Leo glanced from the list to her. "This is enough ammo to fuel several teams for at least two battles. You're telling me you consume this much?" He knew she was into fireworks, but still…

            "I used up all my ammo last night. I don't have any more. Jamie said we're going to have to scrape by until we win some Class S money. We're already in debt up to our hips." Strange how to a top-ranking team could still have debt issues. 

            They finally reached the city, but Leena's first stop wasn't anywhere near their appointed rounds. First came the shopping district. "Why do you want to look there?" asked Leo. "You've already got a battle costume." 

            "Battle _outfit_." Leena corrected. "And I just want to window shop. Jamie said to be back by this evening, which is a long way off. It won't take long, let's just window shop a little. Aren't you interested in what the new fashions are?"

            "No. I don't play dress-up for my battles. I think it's silly." 

            "Hmmph. I didn't see you complaining when you saw Naomi's outfit yesterday." 

            "That's because Naomi was the one wearing it." Leo's grin quickly withered under Leena's scowl. He didn't dare protest when she dragged him inside and started trying out different combinations. She must have tried on every costume in existence before Leo finally stood up and tried to leave. "Where do you think you're going?" Leena had finally changed back into her normal clothes, but was still browsing.

            "We've been at this for an hour and a half. We have real errands to run, remember?"

            Leena smirked, "Well, I'm not ready to leave just yet. I've got the list and the cash card, so I guess I decide when we go. Besides, I'm thinking of buying a second outfit. It's good to diversify." 

            "You already said that we'd have to scrape buy, and now you want to waste money on a _second_ costume-"

            "Outfit."

            "Costume! No way. The others might put up with this, but not me. We're leaving, now." 

            Leena folded her arms. "Make me." Leo glanced around at the various people in the shop watching their argument. Leena was relying on embarrassment to keep him in line. Too bad for her. Leo shrugged, bent down, scooped Leena up over his shoulder, and calmly ignored her protests and the mixed expressions from the other customers as he walked outside. 

            He set Leena down on the sidewalk and quickly had to dodge several swings. "We're moving on. End of discussion."

            "You call hoisting me over your shoulder a discussion?" 

            "No, I call that 'efficient.' What better way to get a stubborn girl to move?" 

            "So you just waltz while carrying someone whenever you have a disagreement? You're a savage." 

            "This coming from a barbarian woman." Now he was dodging her blows once again. They continued a duel of words while Leo dodged attacks until Leena was finally tired enough to stop swinging. It took almost fifteen minutes. Leo threatened to carry Leena to the weapons shop, but she agreed to come voluntarily. He could tell she was furious at him, and it was only physical exhaustion that kept her from ripping his head off. Leo noticed she kept her pace just slightly slower than his own, probably to spring an attack from behind. Confident he could at least survive such an attack, he led the way through several shortcuts he knew had to exist. This jaunt helped give Leena something else to focus on besides revenge. "How do you know where to go? I thought you hadn't been here before." 

            "I haven't. But if you see enough cities, you realize they're all designed the same. I can walk into a city or town and know my way around without even looking at a map. Watch, there'll be a restaurant at the next corner. It'll server burgers, salads, and your usual drinks." Sure enough, they were sharing a meal at that very restaurant in short order. 

            "You're starting to scare me." Leena said. 

            "Actually, it's towns that scare me. They're so similar it's almost like a conspiracy."

            "So how'd you know this place's menu without even seeing it?" 

            Leo shrugged. "This is what I've found in most towns I visited. I don't think the city designers and store owners purposely copy each other, but the basic town setup is always the same. From there, stores appear where they'll draw the most customers, so it's easy to guess where and what I'll find when I'm in a certain area. The nearest ammo shop will be several blocks north of here." The meal ebbed off the last of hostility, and Leena was walking by his side now. When they arrived at the weapons shop, they quickly learned it was sold out; as was the next closest shop, and the one after that. 

            "Remember how I said I didn't think towns were formed by a conspiracy?" 

            "Yeah."

            "Well, now I think there is a conspiracy."  

             Leena laughed. "Yeah, a grand plot to keep us out of the tournament by stealing all our precious ammo." 

            "But it is pretty weird. Suddenly all the shops are sold out, even after they stocked up for the day before the new season." 

            "Yeah… It's never happened before." Leena checked the sky. "Oh, it's already getting late and we haven't even gotten the groceries yet. What are we going to tell my Dad?" 

            Leo shrugged. "The truth. We shopped for ammunition all over town, and all the shops were sold out. Not our fault." 

            "But what about the new season? I can't go into battle without my weapons." 

            "You'll just have to conserve." Then he remembered he was talking to _Leena_. "Or… maybe you should just rely on your Sniper's tail cannon. I haven't seen you use that before." 

            "You haven't known me that long." 

            "Yeah, but you've shot at me twice now. I think I recognize you style. Why don't you use the tail sniper?" 

            Leena waved a dismissive hand. "It's so weak. You have to set up the Zoid and fire one shot at a time. Not to mention you can't maneuver the Zoid while you're sniping. That might work for someone like Naomi, but I still say real firepower can take down anyone."

            "Well, you're not going to have that kind of firepower until we find some ammo. You might have to adjust." 

            "Yeah, right. Like I'd ever-" Leena cut short when they heard a scream coming from farther down the road. Leo spotted a quick glimpse of a woman being dragged into an alleyway. There were at least two men abducting her, but there could be more waiting.

            "Get the police." Leo ran to the alleyway while Leena shouted protests at him. He could hear voices whispering as he approached the alley. The woman was no longer screaming, probably gagged. He peered around the corner. There were five men standing near the woman. One held her arms and covered her mouth. Another was looking through her purse, but the three standing guard had a much more sinister look to their eyes. All of the members carried weapons. One had a bat, another a metal pipe. Several had knifes hanging off their belts.

            Before moving, Leo sized up the area. While he wasn't the best at Zoids piloting, he was skilled in street brawls. The alley was wide enough to fit the men and their hostage, but they were pressed so close together there was no way they could surround Leo and fight effectively. Several garbage cans and boxes lined the walls. They could be used as weapons or aids if one knew how. Leo stepped into sight and ordered them to release her. He wasn't surprised by their laughter; but he knew they would have been smart to do as he said. The two guards moved forward with metal pipes in their hands. Lucky these guys couldn't afford guns. Leo charged before they could move past the nearest crate. 

            In most fights, he'd try to handle his opponents two on one and work his way to the back so as not to be taken from behind. Problem was there was a hostage involved, and something might happen to her while Leo was dealing with the other punks. So instead he charged full speed towards the two men, but instead of attacking he veered right towards nearby crate and used it as a launching to leap up over the heads of the guards and land right next to the woman. His punch came faster than the man holding the hostage could react, and he hit the floor with a bleeding nose. With no time to talk to the woman, Leo ducked as metal pipe swung where his head had just been. He elbowed the second attacker in the belly and spun around with a right hook, connecting with the man's jaw. Too bad it wasn't a glass jaw, the man felt more like stone. Pain was something Leo had grown used to, from the beatings of those dark men to constant street fights like this one. So long as he didn't award the pain focus, he could endure it. 

            The next gang member was coming at him, this time with a knife. Leo sidestepped his lunge and caught the man's wrist. He wrenched it to the side, causing the man to drop the knife. Being so close to the wall, Leo opted to shove the man face-first into the bricks. He slumped down and joined his two friends on the ground. Just before Leo could spin to face the remaining two members, a loud crash sounded with several thumps and a thud following. Leena stood over the final two men, laughing. There were shards of a wooden crate scattered across one man, who had obviously taken a blow to the head. The other had a broken jaw as well as an already swelling eye. "That'll teach you to pick on women!" She gloated. 

            Leo held back his confusion and looked towards the captive woman. Before he could say anything, she bolted past him and Leena and ran screaming down the road. Leo shrugged. There wasn't anything more they could do for her anyway. She was probably headed home or to the police. He addressed Leena, "What part of 'get the police' did you not understand?" 

            "The part where it was suddenly decided you would play hero while I ran away." 

            "I've been in fights before." 

            "And I haven't?" He wasn't sure, but given her strength, Leena obviously had taken part in a few brawls herself. 

            "They had weapons."  
            "Oh." Leena feigned frailty. "So you were trying to protect poor pitiful me? Don't think for a minute that I need a bodyguard, Leo. You helped me out last night but I can take care of myself just fine." 

            "Well, excuse me for caring! So sorry your barbarian-ness." The quarreled for several minutes before the cock of a gun caught their attention. Several armored military men stood at the alley's entrance. Black bands near their shoulders identified them as ZBC Military Police. 

            "Do not move. You are under arrest!" 

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            Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed Chapter 7. I'll get right to work on the next chapter. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the story so far. 


	8. Missing Legends

Battle Dawn

Chapter Eight: Missing Legends

by Silver

            Author's Apology: Sorry this took so long. This is probably one of the longest chapters I've written in any of my fan fics. I want to that Zeropioneer and ChrisDude for proofreading this story. I always miss my own typos.

            I also want to thank Orson Scott Card, whose works are having an influence on my writing and storytelling. Hopefully, I can turn out to be half as good a writer as he.

            I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave a review after you're done and let me know what you think.

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            The Valley of the Rarehertz; birthplace of legends, tomb of history, and land of death. Sen Vaez had never visited this fabled realm, but now at the cusp of history he found a renewed interest in what was otherwise considered the ZBC's greatest headache. Any officer assigned to the "Rarehertz base" always received the same question at the door. "So, who's mad at you?"

            For three quarters of a century, the Rarehertz base was a dumping ground for disruptive or inept officers. Assignment to this base was no different from a child having to sit in the corner and reflect upon his or her mistake. The hope was that the constant isolation and frustration would redeem the personnel and transform them into respectable ZBC officers. How odd that a place of such importance had become a dumping ground.

            As his Hammerhead transport circled the area, Vaez read through the history of this base. Long before the days of Van Flyheight the Hero and Rudolf the Savior, the Valley of the Rarehertz was already infamous. A roaming energy pulse within these stone walls created a labyrinth that stripped Zoids of their sanity, causing them to run berserk and often slay their pilots. No matter what countermeasures used, the Rarehertz always evolved to overcome any resistance. Who could have guessed that this destructive force was really Zoid Eve's defense mechanism for keeping intruders away from Eveopolis?

            Shortly after the final battle with and the ultimate Deathsaurer, the Guardian Force had pondered what to do with this powder-keg. They certainly couldn't leave it be for any rouge to dabble in, and no power other than the Guardian Force could be trusted with the power that lay beneath. That was the rational, at least. But Vaez knew the Guardian Force was hardly incorruptible. They coveted the power of Zoid Eve as had Hiltz and Prozen. So they set up a base within the Valley over the objections of Fiona Alicia-Linet-Flyehight, a senior GF member and most knowledgeable in such matters. Without the use of Zoids, the crews had to rely on unstable digging equipment based on ancient Terran technology; and even then Zoid Eve would not allow them to pass. From deep within Eveopolis the Rarehertz pulse lashed out and crashed every sort of electrical device known to man. A project estimated to last no more than a decade had dragged on for the better part of a century. For so long the project trudged on, guided by unfaithful hands.

            And then the Rarehertz stopped. Less than five years ago, the Rarehertz ceased and the Valley became no different than any other in the world. As the Guaridan Force's successor, the ZBC seized the moment and hastily transferred in capable men and women, sending the washouts to other remote locals. Excavation finally reached a fevered pitched; so much so that Vaez had to order a postponement so he could orchestrate events to coincide. It was a heavy-handed move he rather would have avoid, but he wanted his future queen to be present while he stared a god in the face. And then he would possess the god, and his queen would give him the power to achieve his ultimate goal. He would be the first to step through the earthen doorway to claim a power from another lifetime. Such was the plan he had constructed; a divination that even his grandfather could not have foreseen. Now he would prove himself to be the true successor, and the script would reach its climax.

            It was rare for him to feel giddy, but being so close to his objective it was impossible not to feel impatient. He signaled the pilot to hurry the landing; a luxury of a command position. In less than several minutes he was on the ground, saluting and shaking hands with the bases commander and other visiting dignitaries.

            "Welcome to this auspicious event, sir." The commander said over the flashes of cameras and television spotlights. Vaez had wanted this event to be broadcasted in every major city. It was only fitting to document a watershed in history. Of course, none would be allowed inside. Only archeological teams and command staff would have that privilege. But the signals from within would be televised. Such honesty and trust would win the hearts of many viewers and build their admiration for Vaez, easing the transition when all major governments fell. What better way to enter a war than with the populace already supporting you?

            "Thank you, Major General. I trust all is ready for the final push?"

            "Yes, sir. The podium is also prepared for you."

            Vaez waved a hand. "I think we can skip the speeches tonight. We've waited almost a full century for this excavation. I doubt anyone wants to wait another hour because of my droning." The crowd laughed; not the polite, forced laugh that greeted many leaders, but a true laughter of admiration. Tonight he would hold the key to Lilith, the body for Lilith, and the trust of those who would fall victim to Lilith.

Vaez glanced over at Helic's President Vereor and Guylos' Kamuffel, the rulers of rivaling nations. Both appeared cheerful and eager, but he knew they were chaffing behind him. As ZBC Commissioner and supreme commander of this project, it was his honor to host this event. Both men obviously wanted to be center stage, and now that Vaez had declined to speak neither one could afford to get a word in lest they truly reveal themselves as greedy, small-minded bureaucrats. How they must be seething. Let this mark the end of days for you, Helic and Guylos, thought Vaez. You shall soon receive your punishment. I can only hope you will realize that you have already lost the hearts of your citizens _before_ you see the end coming.

            The Major General led Vaez and his entourage to the tunnel entrance. Video crews and photographers followed them step for step, but Vaez made no rush. He did not try to dodge the flashes or pretend the cameras were not there. He took his time, waved to the cameras, shook hands briefly, but always kept moving. His earlier impatience had melted away under the demands of the spotlight and remembrance of his heritage. The people of Zi couldn't stand to wait another moment, but Vaez's family was far stronger. They had waited centuries for this moment. They could stay silent a little longer.

            At the maw of tunnel leading into the dimly lit cradle of destiny, MP's blocked off the reporters and a young Sergeant took up a video camera to tape the following events. Vaez glanced at the shadows, trying to see signs of the hidden unit that had stowed away on his Hammerhead. They had specific orders to trail him unseen. They had to be somewhere out of sight of the crowd, for surely they had not yet entered the tunnel. Despite the immense value of their mission, it would not be fitting for underlings to enter the most sacred Zoidian city before their master. It would still be another day before the Fuma team reached Alteil's position. Until their stealth expertise came under Vaez's control, he still had to rely on his own covert agents. Once his second unit completed their task, however, he could charge them with more vital missions while Fuma dealt with all cloak-and-dagger matters. His own men's talents would be better used in speaking to the youth of Zi to raise an army. Their words were far deadlier than their stealth.

            But their ability to blend with the shadows was still on par with even the most elite military covert ops team on Zi. Vaez could not see any of them in the dark corners of the tunnel. Vaez was not so proud to deny that he could not see where they hid, though he'd never admit such a thing aloud. How fortunate these men are my allies, he thought. Were it even remotely possible that they might turn on me, I would fear for my life in such places. But their loyalty was unquestioned. Vaez had trained them personally. These men could not be swayed by jealousy, greed, or self-ambition. They were the truly devoted; the elite of a reborn nation. Their rewards would be far greater than any man could provide now. And so there was no need to fear. If anything, the fools paraded behind Vaez were the ones whom ought to dread.

            The party continued on through the tunnel, guided by the camera's spotlight and the faint overhead lightning network. But as they neared the final wall, a strange orchid glow began to shimmer into view. The final chamber was an immense, low-ceiling cave with a network of stalactites and stalagmites giving the sensation that they were standing in the mouth of a great beast. Water splashed and echoed off the stone, causing Vaez to wonder how his agents would avoid detection. That strange glow permeated the entire area, and seemed to flow from a honeycome-styled dome near the cave's center. Vaez knew without checking that this had been the hideout for Prozen the Usurper: one of the most hated men in Zi's history. Here, under the guise of the Dark Kaiser, Prozen had sent out his agents, Hiltz the Butcherer and Reese the Blue Devil. For a time they had seemed invincible with the power of both the Death Stinger and the resurrected Death Saurer, until Prozen was absorbed by that which he sought to control, and Hiltz perished in the Death Saurer's destruction. Only Reese had survived, fading into history with her unlikely consort, Raven.

            And now here he stood, about to attempt a feat even Prozen dared not attempt. Vaez had no doubt others in the past had sought the same power he now stood to possess, but after such a long history one could hardly blame Vaez for being unoriginal. His true strength lay in his planning. Rather than simply gain the power, he had planned failsafes to ensure he was not consumed like Prozen. He would not become a meal for a Zoid; rather, he would become the mind of the most powerful Zoid in history! All his planning would come to fruition in a few short moments.

The Major General had indeed prepared for this event. Several floodlights and spotlights stood at the ready with two crewman apiece for transport. There would be no stumbling in the dark. Small charges lined the cracked wall, awaiting the signal to explode. All seismic scans and analysis indicated that beyond this seemingly normal mound of dirt was a series of objects too perfect, too symmetrical to be natural. A few meters beyond this point lay the first relics of Ancient Zoidian history. Support beams and metal gridlines ensured the chamber's stability. It would take far more force than these simple charges to bring down the ceiling. 

            One of the crewmen handed Vaez a remote and escorted the group behind a set of blast shields. "The explosion shouldn't be too large, and it won't destabilize the cave, but better safe than sorry, sir. We've conducted multiple sonar scans and determined that there's a subterranean cave just behind this wall. One quick blast and we'll be inside without having to wait for support struts."

            Vaez nodded. "Indeed. Good job. Are we certain there is enough force to punch through the wall?" Legends said that an ancient Zoidian need only speak the word "Fiona" to open the passageway to Eveopolis. No one knew the meaning of the word, and so it was more commonly known as the name of the most famous female Zodian in recorded history. Sadly, the Zoidian bloodline was too thin for such easy entry now; although Vaez had a few suspicions. Bereft of a lock-pick, the ZBC now relied on brute force to gain entry.

            The Major General interjected, unwilling to let a mere crewman take any sort of credit for a project he only oversaw. "My men have calculated the wall's depth, composure, and density, sir. I can assure you that we are fully able to break through in one try. Should the first blast fail for some reason, we have several more sets of charges waiting for your use."

            "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. I doubt any of us want to have to take another shot at this." He grinned inwardly at the small line of sweat on the Major General's brow. Had he let the crewman handle explanations, the pressure would haven fallen to a subordinate. The Major General's attempt at brownnosing only saddled him with a new fear of failure. Do pray that this works. Otherwise I might make an example of you.

            At Vaez's signal, everyone in the area donned mufflers over their ears and took shelter behind the blast walls. The Gods of Zi must have favored the Major General that day, for a new hole appeared in the wall with no sign of difficulty. The Sergeant charged with the video camera was the first to step forward, but Vaez placed a hand on his shoulder before the fool could step through the newly made portal. In his eagerness he had forgotten who was in charge of this operation. Vaez made sure to be lighthearted in reprimanding the Sergeant, but also made sure the message was clear. The soldier had enough sense to look abashed and slumped back behind Vaez.

            The air on the other side of the wall was heavy and stagnant. Vaez's lungs burned slightly from the decreased oxygen, even though air flowed from the chamber he'd just left. It was clear that no living thing had entered this realm in some time. Vaez stepped through with the grace of a ruler but the humility of a prophet. The President and the Emperor were far less graceful; each one trying to be the next to enter and only succeeding in tripping over each other. Vaez had no doubt the late night comedy shows of Zi would have a field day with that footage. But all pretenses at power and regality faded into pure shock.

            "Organoids…" Emperor Kamuffel whispered. The cavern, nary an inch taller than the previous one, contained countless glass pods; each holding a seven-foot tall saurian Zoid. Unlike their larger cousins, the Organoids' designs were smooth and graceful. These Zoids bore a far stronger resemblance to the Wild Zoids that existed before the coming of humans. Organoids had once been the bridge between Zoidian, man, and Zoid. They could fuse with Zoids, increasing their abilities and even altering or evolving a Zoid's frame. They could also hold the memories of their Zodian masters, and allow communication between a human and a Zoid. For the most part, these Dragon-like Zoids appeared identical save for coloring and facial features. Four Organoids stood out in recent history, including Van Flyheight's companion, Zeeke.

            How odd for the Zoidians to store their pets in such a place. The ceiling and floor were rough and cold and hardly safe. Several pods had shattered, spilling out their contents who now lay lifeless. A large section of the ceiling had apparently fallen and crushed two other pods. Even more surprising was that the rocks seem to swallow parts of the Organoid pods. It was almost as if the pods had been here long before the cavern. Was it possible that there had been some kind of calamity? Nonsense. Eveopolis had survived Zi's destruction _and_ emerged from underground without the slightest blemish. There was another reason the Zoidians placed their Organoids in this cavern, odd as that unknown reason might be.

            Vaez reflected on how nice it would be to have such a creature serving him as his reign began; but these Organoids were of no use now. With their masters long since dead, the Zoids themselves had passed on; their metal-based cells transforming into a sort of petrified skin. Science teams were already trying to study the corpses, but the transparent chambers appeared impenetrable. The lack of scratching or weathering—even in an environment such as this—was a testament to the strength of this material, and no tool seemed able to puncture them. Perhaps the Zoidians had designed these strange pods to be opened from within by the Organoids themselves. What better way to protect their pets than to ensure no one could touch them from outside?

            The group paused long enough to transmit shots of the Organoids and gather a few choice samples from the free bodies. Many scientists were excited by the notion of cloning an Organoid, but they failed to realize the era of Organoids was long since past. The true prize lay farther in, and Vaez led the way at the first opportunity.

            In his mind, Vaez had painted a picture of Eveopolis at the height of its grandeur with crystal skyscrapers and untainted walkways; its streets as dark as polished obsidian and just as flawless. The Zoidian race had created a society no Earthling could ever match for they harnessed the natural power of Zoid Eve whereas humans had to find ways to _bypass_ nature to achieve their goals. How simple it was for the Zoidians to reshape a mountain or extract minerals from the soil. They needed only to turn to Zoid Eve and have her birth a new Zoid, perfectly evolved to fit their needs. The Zoidians had even managed to learn how to reshape existing Zoids in their birthing chambers. Now, after the great calamity, the human race could only harness the few scraps of Zoidian technology that had survived Zi's near obliteration. They could only clone Zoids based on corpses found in ruins, and from there modify the Zoid cores to either enhance or create new Zoids. While this power was nothing to be dismissed, Vaez knew it was but a sample of the Zodians' original power. He knew everyone else wanted that same power so they could build up the human-ruled Zi into something as majestic as Eveopolis itself.

            Yet the Eveopolis Vaez suddenly saw before him did not radiate the grandeur he knew the ancient race possessed. He didn't even realize he was inside the city until he nearly bumped into a wall. Vaez frowned and pressed his hand against the smooth surface, far too flawless to be anything natural. Less than a foot away the wall became craggy and uneven. It was a natural stone. Vaez called for more light and several techs aimed their lights. The wall Vaez had felt was being swallowed by the cavern wall. With the illumination now highlighting every feature, the entire group noticed melted and blown-out windows and collapsed sections of a building. The structure was half merged into the stone. Vaez ordered more lines shown forward, and the city that appeared before him was far different from the view in his mind.

            Eveopolis was now a city of ash and dirt. The skyscrapers, barely visible by the spotlights, were all shattered and toppled, their rubble crushing sections of the roads and smaller buildings. Soot and rubble crunched under every step while dust in the air caused fits of sneezing and coughing. Vaez ordered masks and goggles for the entire group. Large portions of the city lay buried in solid stone, as if the cavern was trying to digest its contents. It was painfully obvious that the Organoid chamber had indeed been swallowed by magma and stone. Years of Zi's tectonic shifting had robbed Eveopolis of its former beauty. Now it seemed more a dead shell, with half its contents half-submerged or completely devoured by the stone walls.

            How was this possible? When Eveopolis emerged over a century ago, it was as pristine as if it had just been birthed out of Zi's very core. There had been no decay, no destruction. Why had it fallen apart now? Molten rock had seeped into the city, melting buildings and encasing the remains in stone tombs. The putrid, sulfur-filled air made Vaez gag. What had become of this city of legends? How could the birthplace of all Zoids become so decayed?

            Vaez looked back to the Organoid chamber. Most of those pods had somehow survived the flood of magma that obviously swallowed their resting place. While the building itself was lost, the treasures therein remained secure. Yet some Organoids had been crushed, or their pods broken. Obviously, whatever power protected them had departed some time ago. There were few things on Zi that could withstand the power of nature.

            Pushing back despair and his grandfather's laughter, Vaez pressed forward. Trudging through the dust, soot, and debris of the road slowed their progress considerably. Vaez chaffed under the restraints of waiting. He wanted to find his prize now, yet the script called for patience and so he forced himself to remain composed. There was very little to keep his interest in the meantime. They must have emerged in a living district for all the buildings were designed for easy access for many people, yet there were no recognizable shops or business centers. A food-court near the street corner displayed menus in a language Vaez did not recognize. Seeing a dinning area diminished the mysticism of the Zoidians. Until now, the only text from this lost civilization had been found in ruins, and often the hieroglyphic-like writing had depicted tales of powerful Zoids and ancient legends. Seeing those same glyphs used to describe the blue-plate special was insulting. Yet every culture needed to eat. These Zoidians had not designed their language with the hopes that other people would read it long after their demise. It was foolish to expect mysticism at every turn, but places such as this had that effect on even the strongest will. Vaez was standing in perhaps the most critical location on Zi. He could forgive himself for getting caught up in the moment.

            Shaking off his wonderment and trying to regain some of his regality, Vaez rounded the corner and came face to face with the devil.

            Or at least Zi's version of the devil. A being of immense power that it had nearly decimated Zi several times and consumed countless people into its corrupt core. The most notorious Zoid in history; the bastard son of Zoid Eve. The Deathsaurer. The other party members were equally shocked. Vereor gasped and Kamuffel's shriek was almost comical enough to break the spell the Deathsaurer had cast. The flood lights played over its surface, shinning off the bloody teeth that was easily two feet taller than any man in the group. Its mouth was parted in a final death scream from Van Flyheight's fatal blow. The maw was easily as big as the Organoid cavern. The lights flashed over its darkened eyes, partially hidden by a shattered visor. They stared cold and lifeless into the void. Vaez managed to move his gaze away from the Deathsaurer's soulless gaze and examined the surrounding buildings. Several had been toppled long ago; no doubt shattered by the fall of the Deathsaurer's decapitated head. For all he knew, this was the last mortal remains of Zi's greatest threat.

            Vaez stepped forward and extended his hand towards the monster. It was all right for his hand to tremble a little. Any lesser or equal man would do the same; and there was no one superior. How the viewers on the surface must be reacting now. No doubt some of them were screaming for him not to touch it lest he somehow awaken the behemoth. How funny that such an image, long since a part of Zi's culture, could still invoke terror among onlookers. Even the Zoids News Network used a cartoon version of the Deathsaurer in their broadcasts. Perhaps that drawing would be less funny after tonight.

            "Amazing." said Vereor. "To think even a part of this monster still exists. Thank goodness Helic ended its rampage so long ago. We might not enjoy our current prosperity otherwise."

            "With respect, Mr. President," said Kamuffel "it was Guylos' gravity cannon that fired the killing shot."

            "Yet that 'killing shot' was a Republic Blade Liger. I'm sure you'll agree that it was Helic's ingenuity that won the day."

            "I don't recall Van Flyheight ever declaring himself a member of the Republic army. In fact, he was Guardian Force personnel only, and was a close friend to Rudolf the Savior. I doubt he'd appreciate you portraying the Republic in a larger light than its partner, the Guylos Empire."

            "I only mention Helic's role because I do not want to stir up any feelings over Guylos' role in the creation of this beast."

            "That need not concern anyone. Prozen the Usurper was not acting in the Empire's interest. If you'll remember, we were the first to receive a blast from this Zoids Charged Particle Cannon. And it was our forces who aided Helic as the Deathsaurer threatened to wipe out their advanced units."

            "But, Emperor, what of Guylos' role in creating the _first_ Deathsaurer, before the great calamity?"

            "It is hardly fair, _sir_, to put blame on us for the acts of a race long-since dead. We stand in the ruins of their city even now."

            "I was not blaming anyone, your highness. I was simply wondering what might have happened if the old Guylos had not created this thing."

            "As I understand it, the old Republic was designing super Zoids as well, such as the King Gojulas. I imagine that if Helic had been faster, it would be they who unleashed a Deathsaurer-like monster upon this world."

            So predictable. Vereor would never miss this chance to remind everyone of how strong Helic appeared; and he would try to use that strength as a pass for all sorts of audacious actions, including setting up military bases in political hotspots. Kamuffel would never allow such an act and so he sought to curb the President's audacity now. The comedy in this play was that neither man was consciously aware of his intentions. Both were acting out of natural habit without thinking far enough into the future. These fools could only see in the short term. True leaders could look several years, even decades, ahead of their competition. Vaez had gazed far beyond any other man or woman on Zi, and he knew his future by heart.

            Normally, Vaez would allow this polite bickering to continue so that both countries grew more hostile towards one another. However, this was not the time. He was nearly drained of patience and was willing to shove other agendas aside for the time being. "Gentlemen, let us not ponder matter in which we lack knowledge. Was not the point of this expedition to learn about Zi's past, including the original creation of the Deathsaurer? We can discuss this matter at another time once we have the more information. And besides, it was the joint work of both Helic and Guylos that has protected Zi for all this time, and defeated Hiltz the Butcherer. I think we can all take pride in that." It was so simple to look like the hero and peacemaker compared to these fools. Both Helic and Guylos had become too lax and greedy in their power. People of both nations were convinced that they could do no wrong, and that no power on Zi—not even other nations—could contest their actions. Vaez needn't sow any discord, it already existed. He just had to nudge it in the right direction.

            They delayed by the Deathsaurer's head far longer than Vaez preferred. He needed only think of his own agenda to break the Deathsaurer's hold on him. But he did hope his agents were nearby, ready to take samples for his use. The Death Stinger might also be nearby. Its coreless shell would have been buried along with Eveopolis, and it was strong enough to endure almost any condition. It had taken the Backdraft years to learn how to clone the Death Stinger's tail cannon. With a DNA blueprint, Vaez could clone the entire Death Stinger to do his bidding.

            At the first polite chance to press on, Vaez urged everyone forward. The spotlights had a far easier time providing illumination as they neared the center of the city. The debris slackened off, allowing more light to shine on their surroundings. How odd that the destruction worsened the farther away one stood from the city's center. It was almost as if the protective power of the city shrunk over time, until now there was no guarantee of protection. Fortunately the ceiling was as secure as the geologists and technicians had promised. It was clear that some bits of rock had fallen with devastating effects, but the loss of material had not yet weakened the ceiling enough to cause a threat.

            All the streets seemed to lead towards one destination, as if the city had grown out from one source like vessels flowing away from and towards a heart. Finally, Vaez began to recognize his surroundings, which could only mean they were nearing his true goal. He'd poured over all the recordings from Flyheight's Blade Liger, secured deep in the ZBC archives. He'd memorized every structure, every possible path to the center in preparation for this day. He'd committed the entire layout to memory long before his ascension to ZBC Chairman. This was the way. This was the path of destiny. Even now he could see the curved monolith standing taller than any other building. From far away it had been invisible amidst the darkness, but now he could make out its faint glow. The structure was smooth and featureless, and it curved around like a crescent moon as if encircling a shorter pillar on the other side. It was there that Vaez would find the power he sought and be one step closer to the realization of his plans.

            He moved much faster, ignoring the panting and calls from behind for him to slow. If they could not keep up, too bad for them; and no one could fault him for being eager to see a legend. Vaez practically bounded over the rubble, spring-boarding from structure to structure rather than bothering to climb. The very ceiling could fall and he would not allow it to slow him. He'd rip apart every slab of stone in his path if anything dared challenge his penultimate scene. After tonight he wouldn't have to be concerned with manipulation and deception. With his own men studying and preparing under the ZBC's nose, it would be a simple matter to orchestrate unrest and create a moment to strike. All he needed was this ultimate power; the key to a renewed future. All he needed was Zoid Eve!

            And she wasn't there.

            Vaez's pace slowed as he rounded into view of the cradle's opposite side. There were small ports with cables dangling like limp vines, and a vast space with walkways bridging the gaps. But nothing filled the void. There was no structure, no statute, no mother of all Zoids. Zoid Eve was not there.

            This was not fair. It was not in the script. There was nothing to suggest that Zoid Eve would move from this spot. There was no reason she'd _want _to move. This was her city! This was where she ruled! What would possess this ancient power to abandon her throne? And how could she have left? Surly a giant blue statue resembling a woman would not go unnoticed by anyone in the area. There would have been a sighting. A report. A rumor. Vaez had not allowed a single shred of evidence to go unchecked before this day. Yet now the harsh reality mocked him, as did his grandfather's laughter.

            "What?" Kamuffel and the others had finally caught up. Vereor was already shuffling through the same documents Vaez had memorized.

            "This is the spot. This is where Zoid Eve was last reported. Where is it?"

            One of the techs said, quite helpfully, "Zoid Eve's absence would explain the decay around the city. Without its power for protection, the area began to suffer under the tectonic strain."

            "It." They dared call her an "it?" The fools had no appreciation of her power, her grace. Zoid Eve was the embodiment of Vaez's dreams, and they referred to her like a regular Zoid or a bug. How dare they? How dare they be present at his humiliation; at the thwarting of all his goals? It was not for his future plans, Vaez would have lashed out at them instantly. Instead he waited until his cold silence shunned them all into quiet, and he led them out of the city and back towards the outside world. They no doubt wanted to protest. There were many other secrets to find in this ruined, useless city. But why seek lesser secrets when the greatest of all was gone? This night fell far short of Vaez's planning. But as he marched up the tunnel, his rational mind began to take over.

            Zoid Eve was gone, but no power that great could simply wink out of existence. Perhaps she'd known the human race would attempt to regain her, and thus she had slipped away using her divine gifts. Zoid Eve had existed before Eveopolis, and therefore it was quite obvious that she had a means of transport. The question was how she had slipped away unnoticed. Perhaps she had the power of invisibility; or maybe she influenced the minds of any onlookers, making them dumb and forgetful. She would have used such powers in the past, and any acts would be recorded by the Zoidians. Vaez was already rewriting the script. While the Backdraft reigned terror and friction built between Helic and Guylos, Vaez would search for such knowledge. The greatest rulers never placed all their secrets in one local. The information he needed on Zoid Eve would not be here where anyone could read their journals as easily as a food menu. Rather, the Zoidians would have documented their knowledge within a ruin or shrine.

            Hide all you want, Zoid Eve. I will find you. Powerful as you are, you cannot decide the outcome of this play. I have chosen my characters too well, and you are to join me and one other in a starring role. Once I know your secrets, you will fall into my plans.

            The camera crews and reporters awaited him at the cave mouth. There was a reverent silence throughout the crowd, even though the photographers could not miss this opportunity to snap a shot. The return from underground had drained away some of Vaez's anger, allowing him the clarity to seize this opportunity. "I can't help but feel that I've let you all down. There wasn't a soul here who wasn't looking forward to seeing Zoid Eve in her own home. We expected a beautiful, mysterious city springing forth from the mother of all Zoids. Instead we found a deserted shell which had long since lost much of its magic. Zoid Eve was all our hopes for reviving Zi into a paradise as it had once been. But those hopes have not died with this setback.

            "I don't understand why Zoid Eve would want to leave, but I still intend to ask her. I'm not content to leave things as they are. In the next few days, I will draft a new budget for the archeological and excavation departments for the ZBC. We will search for more information about this lost race so that we may learn more about Zoid Eve herself. Perhaps within those ruins we will find the answer to where she might have gone. Until then I ask for your patience." He was pleased with the applause that answered his request. How simple it was to fool people with the truth. A lie eventually came back to haunt you, but the no one could pierce the truth. All Vaez had done was omit a few facts, such as his true plans for Zoid Eve. Zi would be a paradise. _His_ paradise.

            After bidding goodbye to the President, Emperor, and much of the exploration troop, Vaez walked into the base to attend to other matters. The soldiers held the reporters at bay, allowing Vaez some much needed privacy. Or so he thought. Upon entering a deserted hallway, one of the shadows moved. "My lord."

            Vaez grinned at his agents' ability to blend with the darkness. It was abilities such as these that had enabled them to capture Alteil and other key players. "Report."

            "We are all shamed by our failure to capture Zoid Eve. Forgive us." How like his most trusted servants to take responsibility. Gods of Zi forbid the blame fall on their master. "We were successful, however, in gathering samples from Organoids, the Deathsaurer, and we even found the Death Stinger submerged in rock. We managed to get a cell sample off of its claws. In addition, I have received word that our second team has acquired the Countess. She will arrive at the base by morning."

            "Excellent. You have done well. Put all thoughts of Zoid Eve's disappearance out of your mind and take satisfaction in knowing you have pleased your lord and hastened the Empire's restoration. Now return to our headquarters. I have other things to attend to."

            "Yes, great lord." The shadowy figure vanished.

            Vaez's dialog with his true subordinate probably saved the life of the next bumbler; a young MP Lieutenant whom he'd charged with escorting Ms. Toros to the base. The dig had gone on quite longer than he'd expected. "I trust Ms. Toros has been comfortable during her wait?"

            "Actually, sir, she's still en route to the base." The fool didn't even have the wisdom to sound abashed.

            "Really." Vaez's voice hinted at how the Lieutenant should feel. "And why is she so late in arriving?"

            "Well… uh…. We had some difficulty locating her since she and her companion were moving around the city so much."

            "Companion?"

            "A young man with dark hair. We finally found both of them having a street brawl and promptly arrested them."

            "You _arrested_ my guest?" Vaez made the Lieutenant flinch with just words alone. Had he not been pleased with his true servant's report, Vaez would have struck the man down where he stood. "I gave specific orders that Ms. Toros was to be invited and _escorted_ to the base with all the comforts of a visiting dignitary. How does that translate into arresting her like a common criminal?"

            "We-we had no choice, sir. A woman came running to some MPs and said a group of people had assaulted her. When our team reported in, they informed us that everyone in the alleyway where the assault took place was under arrest. They're all being transported here now. They should arrive in less than ten minutes."

            Vaez leaned forward, shrinking the Lieutenant's size the closer he came. "Have Ms. Toros escorted—I repeat, ESCORTED—away from that band of filth and bring her to my office. I'd best not see even any sort of sore on her wrists from the handcuffs. Do you understand, Corporal?"

            It took a few moments for the newly demoted officer to realize his fall, but it was a pleasing to see the blood drain from his face. "Yes sir." He slumped away.

            "This is all your fault!" Leena hissed from her bench. She and Leo sat amongst the very gang members they'd defeated in the alleyway, as if they were the actual criminals!

            "How is this _my_ fault?" Leo had the gall to ask. "I told you to go get the police. Instead, you come in, all gung-ho, and look where it lands us. If you'd gotten the police in the first place, they'd know we were innocent."

            "First off, you don't _tell_ me anything. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be able to have this conversation!"

            "Don't you mean argument?"

            "It'll become a fist fight if you don't apologize!"

            "Kinda hard to have a fist fight when your hands are cuffed behind your back!" Leena wanted to throttle him.

            "So," one of the less bloodied gang members said from the bench across from Leena, "how long you two been married?"

            "SHUT UP!" Both Leena and Leo yelled, and Leena promptly stood up and shoved her foot into the gangster's forehead. The man slumped in his seat, unconscious again.

            Leo regarded the man who'd been sitting next to him. "You keep doing that and you'll give the poor guy brain damage."

            "That depends on if he had brains to begin with." Leena sat back down in a nice clear spot while the real criminals all huddled on opposite sides of the bench, away from her. "Besides, he had it coming."

            "HEY!" One of the MPs called from the driver's compartment. "Keep it down in there!"

            Leena was back on her feet. "Why don't you come in here and make me keep quiet! I dare you!"

            "Leena," Leo begged, "for the love of Zi, don't upset the police!" She sat back down and huffed. More than anything right now she wanted to pound the face of the buffoon who had ordered their transport to who knew where. It was well into the evening now and they hadn't purchased a single thing. No food supplies, no parts, no ammo. Dad would have a fit. Well, no he wouldn't. He'd be too busy playing with his toys. But Jamie, oh, he'd be a real pain. He'd have all sorts of things to yell at them like, "How could you be so irresponsible?" "What were you doing all this time?" "Do I have to do everything around here myself?" Someone his age shouldn't be nearly so predictable. It wasn't even her fault. She couldn't help it if all the ammo stores were sold out and that Leo had to go and play hero.

            Not that she was mad at Leo for doing the right thing. She doubted that Brad or Bit would have been able to do the same. Bit would have gone in just for the fun of battling and saying he won, and Brad could be so miserly he would have asked the woman to pay him for the rescue. She almost admired how Leo leaped into a fight to save someone else; and he didn't play with his opponent or make a big show of the fight. He ended it quick and clean without anyone getting shot or stabbed. It was kinda… gallant. Too bad he was such a moron to get to get the both of them arrested. If anyone was going to have to listen to Jamie blow his blood pressure, it would be Leo.

            The truck eventually came to a halt, and two guards clad in ZBC armor opened the door. "Get out one at a time and form a single column."

            As soon as Leena hopped down, she began to speak, "Listen, we're not with these guys. We're innocent."

            "Like I haven't heard that before." The guard shoved her with the butt of his gun. "Get moving. You're all under arrest for assault and attempted rape."

            "I'm a woman! How can I be given a rape charge?"

            "I'm not the jury. Now shut up and go wait in your cell." He gave her another shove.

            "Listen you! I'm a civilian and I'll have your head on a pike for mistreatment!"

            "Shut up!" The guard threatened to use his weapon more violently.

            "WAIT!" A very depressed looking officer ran towards them. "Let her go, right now!" The guards looked at each other, confused. "NOW!" The urgency in his voice pushed the men into action. Leena took great delight in how quick they were to free her hands and escort her away from the others. About time they showed her some respect.

            The officer checked her hands and wrists for damage. "I'm so sorry about this, Ms. Toros. If you'll come with me, I'll escort you to Chairmen Vaez." Vaez? The head of the ZBC? What did he want with her?

            "Uh, Leena?" Leo tried to get her attention from behind the other convicts. "How's about a little help here?"

            She grinned back at him. "Sorry, but looks like I'm the only invitee. You just cool that hot head of yours and think about what you've done."

            "What _I've_ done? Why you selfish-" She tuned out his insults and followed the officer into the base. Many of the people they passed glanced at her curiously, no doubt recognizing the world's newest and most beautiful S class warrior. Their journey ended at a large pair of double doors with a sign atop the door: "Commander's Office." The officer opened to the door, revealing the most handsome man Leena had ever seen in her life. He was tall and lean, managing to make the drab ZBC uniform look more like a noble's garments. His hair was a light silver in contrast to his youthful face. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five. His emerald eyes were sharp and intensive, conveying an intelligence Leena wouldn't expect from someone as young as he. His smile was just as intriguing, warm and inviting. Leena was only slightly aware of her blushing.

            The officer saluted. "Lieu-er-Corporal Daton escorting Ms. Leena Toros, sir."

            "Thank you, Corporal. Dismissed." The officer left without another word. Whenever Leena told someone to beat it, they usually stayed even longer. It was nice to meet a guy who could get people to do as he said so readily. "Ms. Toros." He gently took her hand and kissed it, causing Leena to become even more beet red. "My name is Sen Vaez. I cannot tell you what an honor it is to finally see you in person. Words cannot describe my elation."

            "A-an honor? Meeting me?"

            "But of course. I've been looking forward to this day for some time." He motioned her towards a pair of luxurious chairs which seemed to mold themselves exactly to fit her. "I hope the conditions are tolerable. This temporary office can be a bit bothersome." This was what he had in a temporary office? Leena couldn't even dream what he might have at home.

            "How… exactly do you know me?"

            "How could I not know about the newest Class S star? You caught my eye long before the Royal Cup, but I'm afraid situations prevented me from arranging an introduction. I'm so sorry it had to be under these circumstances. Rest assured I will have all the officers and guards who mistreated you severely punished."

            "Wait, wait." Leena shook her head, trying to shake off some of the dazzle. The head of the ZBC, a man of wealth and luxury, interested in her? Not that she could blame him for having good taste, but this was all happening in a blur. "How long have you… noticed me?"

            "Since you first reached Class B. Word spread amongst the ZBC leaders of a new team that was working its way up at an unusual pace. I was curious and made it a point to witness one of your matches. I was bewitched by your skill and strength in combat. The way you've customized your Gun Sniper into a maneuverable weapons platform is astounding. I've heard that many pilots are saving up to mimic your model; now known as the Gun Sniper LT, or "Leena Toros" custom. I was so amazed that I doubt I've missed a single match involving your team. Even the turmoil of the Royal Cup could not tear me away from watching you."

            "Well… most of the credit for our wins usually goes to Bit."

            "He is skilled, but I doubt he realizes that he is only a supporting role. I can see the truth. You set the pace for your team. Each member must take care not to stray into your line of fire, lest they be on the receiving end of a salvo. Thus you can designate who attacks a target, where your teammates move, and how quickly each unit may maneuver. Bit Cloud, for all his flash and polish, must act in accordance with your own actions, thus you orchestrate his own battle style. It's a subtlety and majesty few Zoid warriors possess. As I watched you I realized how truly unique you are in this world, and I knew I had to meet you in person. Though I confess I had no idea you'd appear on the base in handcuffs. I ordered my men to escort you here, not arrest you. My former Lieutenant should know better."

            "Former Lieutenant?" Leena tried to grasp something that didn't focus on herself. Her head was spinning. "Is that why he was so depressed?"

            "One does not fall several ranks and simple shrug it off. He will have to work very hard to renew favor in my eyes." They way he spoke so casually about commanding all these different troops. No one wonder everyone looked up to him. "But I am being rude. Would you like something to drink?"

            "N-no, thank you." Her head was spinning already. Why would she need liquor now? "How did you know I would be in the city?"

            "The start of the new season is tomorrow. I had no doubt that your team would have some last-minute stocking errands. Every team is busy shopping for food, parts, and ammunition today. But how is it that you came to be arrested? I doubt the competition for weapons could have been so brutal."

            Leena giggled. "Actually, it's all my friend's fault."

            "Friend? Is Bit Cloud here with you?"

            "Oh, no. This is a new team member. He's our mechanic. His name is Leo."

            "Leo…?"

            "'Just Leo." She imitated Leo's flat tone whenever someone tried to figure out his last name. Why did he have to make such a drama about a silly name? Surely his last name couldn't have been any worse than his first. "He found a bunch of punks harassing a woman and decided to play hero. I stepped in, of course, and then the police popped up and arrested us all together." It was then that Leena realized what a moron she sounded like. "Punks", "Popped up", how stupid could she sound to this man? "I'm sorry. I must sound so… I sound like some backcountry redneck."

            "You sound like a fresh spring air entering a musty old castle. You have no idea how grateful I am to finally speak with someone who is not trying to gain my favor or push an agenda. All their 'cultured' words and fancy phrasing ring hollow. You speak plainly, but your words are far more golden than anything I'd hear in a Guylos ballroom."  Leena's face was so hot she might as well have melted. His speech, his affection; they rolled over her like a tidal wave, sweeping her along so fast she hardly realized what was happening. Such a gallant man as this was practically proposing to her on their first meeting! She knew she had talent but even this seemed lofty.

            "Ms. Toros-"

            "Y-you can call me Leena."

            "I will, if you call me Sen. Leena, I cannot apologize enough for your harassment at the hands of my soldiers. Your kindness to a person in distress should not be rewarded with such foolishness. I had a gift planned to mark our meeting, but now it seems far more appropriate as a form of apology. If you would please follow me." He took her hand and the spark made her heart skip. He led her down the hallway, with every person they passed pausing to watch them. Moments before she had felt these people watched her because of her reputation. Now she was the focus of their envy for having charmed a man like Sen. Leena had never felt so uncertain about being the center of attention; but she could come to enjoy this.

            They exited the building, where a small jeep awaited. Sen apologized for the meager transport, though Leena figured it had taken a lot to have a base jeep wait for them this whole time. The driver chauffeured them to a Whale King poised above the landing pad. They drove up into its mouth, leading into the ship's hanger. There were only two Zoids present. Surprising, considering an entire battalion could be carried the belly of this massive Zoid. That must have been another privilege of Sen's standing: the ability to under-use space. The first Zoid was a regal, graceful Zoid that had four legs and an elongated snout. It was a dark—almost black—gray which made the noble white armor and crimson wings stand out all the more. The golden horn atop its forehead completed the image of a mythical beast Leena had once read about in school. For a time, these creatures had been believed to be an actual habitant of Earth. That was until someone had discovered an ancient Terran book that revealed them to be nothing more than a dream of a long-dead culture.

            The second Zoid—for it could only be a Zoid given its height—was covered in an emerald tarp suspended from the overhanging grid, like a gift waiting unwrapping. Sen guided her from the jeep to the covered Zoid. "This is a prototype for the next multi-range Zoid. There isn't another like it in the world. Would you please give me your impression of it?" He handed her a remote control for the pulley system. With a thrill, Leena pressed the raise button. Overhead the mechanical whir of gears and wheels sprinkled down like a chorus, heralding this brand new Zoid that could only be intended as a _gift_. Sen Vaez, Chairman, Commissioner, and leader of the ZBC was going to give her a new Zoid!

            And what a Zoid it was. Just by looking at it she knew it had been intended for her from design to finish. After all, why else would it so closely resemble her old Dibison? The cannons on this new Zoid, while smaller than what she was used too, fit the midnight-blue-colored frame so perfectly. The two largest cannons nestled between the Zoid's heavily armored shoulders, 120 mm heavy beam cannons, were begging to unload a barrage of firepower on some unsuspecting target. The two smaller 60 mm beam cannons arched from the Zoid's head, creating the perfect image of a bull's horns. Another set of beam cannons nestled under the Zoid's belly, 30 mm this time, would be easy to use against smaller enemies. The quad 20 mm repeater cannons pointing up from the hips would also work against rear targets, though Leena didn't like using harder to aim, rear-mounted weapons. This was the kind of firepower Leena had always craved, but the cost for laser weaponry was astronomical. Her father's impulse shopping had nearly destroyed their entire budget when he bought a long-range buster rifle. If Harry Champ hadn't footed the bill, the Blitz Team would have been eating canned beans for months.

            But now Leena had a Zoid that would never need reloading; only recharge time. She could fight for hours on end without having to listen to Jamie whine about ammo consumption and budgets. Sen couldn't have thought of a more perfect present, and he seemed to sense her thoughts.

            "It's call the Cannon Fort." He placed his arm around her waist, a little lower than might have been considered courteous, but she could hardly complain. "We minimized the frame size to allow for greater speed and maneuverability without seriously compromising artillery. The new engine design allows for much greater power, thus we can outfit this model with all-laser weaponry without fear of a Command System shutdown. And since we use laser cannons of various ranges, the pilot can attack from any range. The horns can even be used for melee combat. Do you like it?"

            "Yes." She whispered.

            "I'm glad. This Zoid requires a strong pilot, and I cannot think of no one more suited than you. We've completed the basic testing, but we want to see how the Zoid performs in actual battle. Your skill and knowledge of artillery makes you the perfect choice. Any negative results due to the Zoid's malfunctioning will be omitted from the battle, of course. Will you honor me by using this Zoid in your next battle?"

            "Of course. How did you make something like this?"

            "That is the bonus to my gift. I designed it using the Zoid core of a fallen Di-" Sen's explanation cut short when a new whirring sound sprung from the resting Cannon Fort. Its eyes flashed red and its head slowly lowered to regard the two humans before it. Leena's eyes grew wide as the Zoid moved on its own accord and lunged for her.

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            Author's Note: I just love cliffhangers, don't you?

            Much will happen in the next chapter. From here on in I start developing plot points unique to my story. Don't expect this to stay totally true to the Zoids Zero style of storytelling. It'll make more sense when I actually post the next chapter (whenever that is).

            Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	9. Eve's Conspiracy

Battle Dawn

Chapter 9: Eve's Conspiracy

by Silver

Author's Note: This chapter took a long time because I've been busy with a video production project as well as finishing my Digimon fan fic "Darkness Reborn." Thank you to all my faithful readers who have been very patient with my lack of progress, and thanks to anyone who took time to click on this story and give it a look J.

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            Leo knew there was trouble right away. But that was pretty obvious considering how the whole base shook. It wasn't a huge rumble from a direct attack, yet the source had to be close by.

            He'd waited for almost an hour in cuffs alongside the very men he'd beaten. All had glowered at him, no doubt thinking of ways to punish or kill him in prison. Leo, meanwhile, glared at the walls for beyond them was the true target of his anger, Leena. Miss-I'm-so-perfect-and-haughty Leena. She was probably cavorting with that commander. What was his name? Sin Vase? San Vaheyz? Sen… Sen Vaez. Leo had heard the name somewhere, but it slipped his mind. Something to do with the ZBC, recently. Whoever he was, he'd handed Leena a "get out of jail" card and she'd ditched Leo to latch on to her new best friend. Oh, she'd pay for this. Already Leo had a nice list of things he could do to for revenge. Maybe reverse the controls on her Zoid so when she charges into battle she ends up fifty miles away from the fight; or set up a stink bomb that goes off in the cockpit when she tried to fire that absurd amount of artillery. Or maybe simply rig the bathroom showers to release itching powder during her oh-so-precious bathing time. He'd have to make sure he was far enough away that she couldn't throw a tub at him this time!

            All he had to do was get out of this, which wouldn't be too hard. If he had to flee, there wouldn't be much opposition. This base obviously wasn't designed to house criminals or captives. They'd lumped all their catches into one room, with only two guards protecting a standard door. Stupid. Both appeared to be waiting for some superior officer, and be coming more bored by the moment. If he had to, Leo wouldn't have trouble dealing with them.

            "Where the hell's the chief?"

            "Probably brown-nosing with Chairman Vaez. Can't miss this opportunity." _Chairman _Vaez? Great, Leena would definitely be spending even more time with a guy that high up on the food chain.

            "So we get stuck with this crowd while he scores a promotion? Gimme a break."

            "I doubt Vaez'll be giving out any promotions tonight. If I were in his shoes, I'd be pissed."

            The other guard laughed. "Yeah, who knew Zoid Eve split? Too bad no one told her about tonight." Zoid Eve? Leo frowned. Everyone on Zi knew about Zoid Eve. Only a handful had ever seen her, and most were dead now, but the name was still a mix of mysticism and religion. What did the ZBC want with the mother of all Zoids? His question answered itself. Who wouldn't want possession of all that power? Trouble with the military was that it was often tempted to _use_ the power at its disposal. If the ZBC, Helic, or Guylos ever got their hands on a power like that, Leo would quickly look for a way off planet.

            Judging from their conversation, Zoid Eve was a no-show, thankfully. That raised the next question: where are we? Leo wasn't too familiar with Eve's history. The name and its significance were easy, but facts blurred over time. This base had to be located near Eve's resting place—or _former_ resting place. If the ZBC didn't have Eve, then Leo decided he needn't worry about it. No doomsday power meant he was free to focus on hating Leena.

            And he would have hated her more if he hadn't felt that explosion. Then all he thought about was concern for the woman who'd locked him up. Knowing Leena, she might be the one causing that blast, but Leo couldn't help but dread. The guards were equally startled, and confused. One went outside to check on the situation while the other remained to guard the group. Suddenly out of patience and eager to get these damn handcuffs off, Leo stood.

            The guard immediately cocked his gun. "Sit down!" Bad. It seemed no one had been expecting an explosion (something one had to do whenever Leena was in the vicinity). That meant this guard would be nervous and short tempered. He'd be more likely to snap off a hasty shot and kill someone. Leo thought about the other prisoners. His first plan had been to wound the guard long enough to take the key and free himself. The man wasn't well-built and obviously relied on the use of firearms over physical strength. Leo could have swiped the key and ran out, leaving the guard enough time to keep the true criminals. Now, though, the guard was more likely to start firing if anyone made a move. Leo wasn't prepared to simply leave these other people to die because of one man's fear. They'd need some way to survive. Except that if they escaped they might very well attack someone else. Maybe the next woman in the ally wouldn't have a rescuer.

            Great. Leena could be dead outside and here he was philosophizing about the right action. He'd just have to take the most direct approach. "Easy now." He said in a calm voice to the guard. "I don't want trouble." He took a step towards the guard.

            "You're already in trouble. Sit DOWN!"

            Leo kept his voice as even as possible. "I didn't do anything. These guys behind me are the criminals." Another step.

            "I'm not the judge. Now sit down and shut up."

            "My friend is outside; the woman who was brought in with us. She could be hurt right now. I can't just wait here." One more step.

            "You will."

            "No. I'm leaving now." There. Last step.

            "Wanna bet?" The guard waved his rifle. Leo had been hoping for that move. This guard was fairly predictable. The instant the gun tilted upwards, Leo charged forward and slammed the rifle from beneath, pointing it at the ceiling. The guard cried out and snapped off a shot. It dented the ceiling but hit no one. Fortunately—or perhaps not—another explosion sounded throughout the base, masking the gunfire. Leo quickly kneed the man in the groin, causing him to pitch forward. A blow to the face sent him reeling and the gun clattered out of his hand. Leo brought his knee into the man's belly, spilling his dinner on the floor and sending him into unconsciousness.

            The criminals cheered while Leo fished the handcuff keys off the man's belt and freed his hands. Good thing they hadn't tried to shackle his legs as well. One of the gang members, probably the leader, stood up. "Nice work, man. We could use a guy like you."

            "I'll pass, thanks. Now sit back down."

            "Come on now." One step. "You just K.O.'ed a ZBC guard. You don't really think they'll just let that fly, do you?" Another step.

            Leo was already well aware of his situation, and its penalties. He was willing to face punishment if he could check on Leena. He didn't need someone else to point it out for him, and he certainly didn't appreciate this man trying to use Leo's own escape plan against him. The leader didn't have a chance to argue further. In less than a minute he lay on his back with a broken jaw.

            "Here is what the rest of you are going to do." Leo addressed the other gang members. "You will sit here quietly and wait for this guard to wake up, or for another officer to come. You will explain everything that happened, and not make any move to escape. If you get out, they'll assume you helped me attack this guard, and then you'll be the fugitives. If you abandon your leader, he'll lie so you'll have no alibi in court. Then you'll be looking at the same jail time as me. Understand?" They all nodded dumbly.

            Leo understood the balance between talk and action. Words could diffuse a situation, and were most often the better choice. When people were already set on one action, however, sometimes the only way to gain their attention was to use a very powerful display. Breaking the jaw of one man had made four others stand down. Still, no reason to be naïve. Leo took the rifle and unloaded the ammunition. He took the rifle with him into the hallway and left it in a darkened corner. No sense carrying a weapon around the base. It'd only make the soldiers more eager to fire first.

            If there _were_ any other soldiers. Leo ran in the direction of more explosions and didn't bump into another base personnel the whole way. Maybe his luck had finally turned.

            Or not.

            Outside was a battle zone on par with most Zoid battles. The concrete grounds were littered with the remains of Gun Snipers, Command Wolfs, and Rev Raptors. Five wrecks in all. It was strange. Given a base of this size, why were there be so few units; and why where they all lower-class Zoids? Not a Liger, Dibison, or Gordos to be seen. Towards the landing pads, Leo saw several Godos disembark from a Whale King and charge into battle.

            Godos was the Gojulas' tiny brother. Based on the same bipedal lizard, it was probably the blockiest Zoid in existence. It was basically a cockpit with a transparent canopy mounted atop a narrow body with short stubby arms and thick legs for running. A Godos could move fairly quickly, but its light armaments made it a poor combat choice. The blasters on its tail and back were difficult to aim, leaving the two lasers on its hips as the main armaments. Godos were usually deployed in areas where they wouldn't have to worry about fighting other Zoids. They excelled at crowd control, construction, and excavation (all thanks to their highly customizable bodies) but anyone who attempted more than a one-on-one fight with a similar class Zoid would be in trouble. None of this made sense.

            Whatever the case, Leo knew he needed to be close to the fight, because he saw one figure running amongst the blasts and ducking the fire overhead. Her red hair stood out amongst the smoking debris. Leo ran forward at full speed, but he hadn't the slightest clue what he could do to save her.

            The Godos' target came into view. It looked like a Dibison, but scaled down with deep midnight colors. There didn't appear to be any other units; not that this Zoid couldn't handle itself. Against the smaller units, this blue bison Zoid had little to fear from their artillery, and its array of laser cannons tore apart their ranks fairly easily. One blast severed a Godos' arm, sending it flying over Leo's head and crashing at the other end of the base. The pilot couldn't cope with the sudden force of the blast and the Zoid fell to the ground. It was close enough that Leo decided he should check on the pilot. Maybe he could reach Leena by hitching a ride.

            The pilot had not fared the fall well. His helmet had taken most of the shock, but it had cracked open and faint trickle of blood seeped out. Leo unbuckled the harness and dragged the man out of the Zoid towards the shelter of a Whale King. The pilot groaned and didn't appear to have any life-threatening injuries, but he certainly wouldn't be piloting for a while. "Rest easy, friend. I'll take it from here." Leo ran back to the Godos and crawled into the cockpit. Amazingly, the Zoid had not suffered Systems Freeze, even with the loss of its arm. Leo closed the cockpit and buckled himself in. He could feel the tenseness in the piloting controls and realized he was not welcome here. "I know I didn't ask permission to enter, but I need your help. My friend is out there, in the middle of all that fire. I need your help to save her. Will you please help me?" The controls relaxed a little in his grip. "Thank you. I think I'll call you Sentinel, because you're my friend's best protector right now."

            Sentinel wobbled up onto its feet and moved towards the fray. That blast had taken all the lasers off-line. There'd be no returning fire. Oh well, it wasn't like he was actually trying to kill the Zoid. Just grab Leena and _run_. Let the soldier boys and girls play out their war games.

            The fighting hadn't move far during Leo's run. That bison Zoid could really absorb punishment. The military forces weren't doing nearly as well. None of the units were at full power now, and very few were even able to fight back. The bison Zoid had moved beyond Leena. Luckily enough, its body took every blow that would have come close to hitting her.

            "Green three. Come in, Green three." A woman's voice came over the comm. The video display was not working. "What's your status?" When no reply came, the woman repeated her call. Leo then realized that Sentinel must be "Green Three." What a dumb name.

            "Um… I'm assuming you're calling me."

            "Who is this? What are you doing in that Zoid?"

            "The pilot was injured. I took him to safety and piloted the Zoid out."

            "Return that Zoid at once! That is a military-class Godos."

            "I can't do that. My friend is out there, behind the attacking Zoid. You keep shooting like this and you're bound to hit her. I'm going to rescue her, then we'll be out of your way. I'll return the Zoid after I'm sure it's safe to do so."

            "You do realize you're guilty of theft. Returning that Zoid means facing a military court."

            "I know. But my friend's out there. If it was one of your teammates in danger, and you were in my position, what would you do?"

            The woman chuckled. "Got me there. All right, we'll lay down cover fire, but you've only got two minutes to get your friend out of there and then get out. We've called in heavy support to put this Zoid down."

            Leo pushed Sentinel to go faster, thankful that there was at least one person on this base with a heart. The remaining units cut back on their fire. The barrage was just enough to keep the bison distracted while Leo maneuvered around to the side. He could see Leena running away from the battle. It was a miracle she'd survived the initial assault.

            Leo veered right. He'd be close enough to pick her up in a second.

            "Watch out!" The military woman cried. Leo looked up and saw the blue Zoid charging him, its horns bent forward to impale Sentinel's chest.

            Leo swore and turned Sentinel to face the charge. I don't have time for this, he thought. If they're calling in the big guns then Leena can't afford to be out on this field much longer. I can't beat that bison head-on. I gotta get around it. I gotta get to Leena!

            And then he was flying. At first he thought the bison had struck him and now he was airborne. If he was, though, he was flying the wrong way. Leo's teeth shook and Sentinel's feet slammed down on the concrete, the bison now behind them. Leo heard several whoops and exclamations of amazement from the military pilots. He had no idea what had just happened.

            "Move your ass!" The woman shouted, snapping Leo out of his surprise. He charged forward, bent Sentinel down, and scooped up Leena with its remaining arm. Leena was shouting something at him, but he didn't bother to turn on the external mic. Sentinel ran forward with the bison firing shots at his tail. Whatever had just happened must have damaged the Zoid's targeting system, because none of its shots actually hit. The military units continued to fire irrelevantly. The bison Zoid was obsessed with its current target.

            Leo ran Sentinel under the belly of a Whale King and swerved around its landing gear. He attempted to contact the crew, asking them to open the ramp and provide shelter. Either they didn't hear him or didn't want to offer any service. The Whale King remained a fixed mountain of steel on the landscape.

            Fortunately, the Godos' speed kept them ahead of their pursuer; and it could corner tighter than the bison. A winding chase around the landing pads eventually gave Leo enough lead to break for the valley passages. The bison cried furiously as it followed with the military still blasting like a swarm of insects biting at the hide of a tank. Leo lost sight of it behind a stone wall and didn't bother to look back.

            He would run for a long while before he realized he had no idea where they were.

            A good director knew when to alter the script. Sometimes an actor wouldn't cooperate, or there'd be limited resources. Plays that failed to adapt to life's little surprises always fell through. Inability to adapt meant failure. So Sen Vaez rarely let the unexpected jolt him. He would adapt. He would overcome. He would rule. It shouldn't be too terrible. But when a Zoid suddenly comes to life and attacks his future queen… well, that was one script change he hadn't expected.

            The Zoids initial charge had been so unprecedented that Vaez had barely managed to step out of harm's way. The Zoid's reinforced hoofs would have carelessly ended a centuries-old legacy if Vaez had been a fraction slower. Leena Toros had almost suffered the same fate, but her swift action and flight to safety only proved her exceptional heritage. She had fled out of the Whale King with the Zoid in hot pursuit. The fools on this base had misinterpreted Vaez's rescue order as a charge to destroy the Zoid itself, putting Leena's life in danger. To think that the script could alter so abruptly that Vaez himself had not been able to rewrite it fast enough. Now he could only try to reorganize the cast without losing his star. He was currently shouting at the Zoid units' leader, who reported that a civilian—a _commoner—_ had spirited Leena to safety. 

            "It was amazing, sir. He actually rolled that Godos over the Cannon Fort's back and landed without a problem. But then he then froze up and nearly got himself blasted. Once I shouted him back into motion, he scooped up Ms. Toros and fled into the canyons. The Cannon Fort followed."

            "Why did you not pursue them as well?"

            "Our unit took heavy damage, sir, and our weapons can't even dent that Zoid. As soon as the Gordos units arrive, we'll head in after them. I'm confident the civilian pilot and the Godos can stay ahead of the Cannon Fort for a while."

            "You should pray they can. This debacle, and its outcome, will be marked on your record." He shut off the comm. just in time to see the base Commander running up to him with a look of utter dread scarred onto his face. Here was a man who knew his career was likely over. How clairvoyant.

            "Chairman Vaez, sir! I'm pleased to report that the President and Emperor are safe, and their Whale Kings are now departing the base. However, they had to leave behind several crippled Zoids. I've already ordered the techs to begin repairing the units so we can later return-"

"Forget the obsolete units for now." Vaez commanded. "Have the techs prep Oriudos. I am heading out myself. Send the Gordos units after me, understood?"

"SIR! You can't possibly head out alone-"

"Do not presume to tell me what is within my power. I am going to rescue Ms. Toros and additional units will only slow me. Execute my orders, _now_."

"Yes sir." The Commander moved fast enough that a man of his girth would soon have a heart attack. So long as he fulfilled his role, Vaez was unconcerned with the man's health. A servant existed to provide his aid to those above him. If he failed to do so, he became socially dead. At that point, what did his health matter? Your career is dead, Commander. If you were smart, you would join its demise. You're useless now.

"HEY! Hey!" Leena kept shouting at the jerk in the Godos. Did he really have to keep carrying her all this way? They had lost the Cannon Fort long ago and should have made it back to the base by now. What was this moron thinking? "Hey up there!" No answer. "Jeez, how rude can you be? When someone shouts at you, you're supposed to answer. When I tell Sen how you've-"

"Tell _Sen_? Since when are you two on a first name basis?" A voice boomed from the Zoid's loudspeaker. It was frighteningly familiar.

"Leo?"

"Yep. Now, how exactly did you and this Vaez guy get on a first name relationship?"

"Waitaminute! Last I saw you, you were being carted off with that gang!"

"Yeah. Thanks for bailing me out."

Leena's fury grew with each breathe. "Why didn't you respond to me earlier?"

"Revenge."

"Revenge?"

"Nothing too terrible. I mean, I could have shaken you up or given a little squeeze, but I'm not cruel. A little silent treatment is enough payback for abandoning me to rot in jail."

"I would have gotten you out!"

"Before or after Vaez proposed?"

Leena blinked and, despite her best efforts, blushed. "Well… was it really that obvious?"

"Wait, he really _did_ propose?" Leo's voice became disbelief incarnate. "I was only joking!"

"Joking? What so unbelievable about a rich, cultured, handsome man falling in love with me?"

"You just answered your own question."

"Listen!" Leena pounded her fists on the Godos' claw. "He may not have proposed but he _is_ madly in love with me. He even gave me that Cannon Fort Zoid as a gift!"

"Wait, you mean that rampaging Zoid back there was a gift?"

"Yes."

"Niiiice… what's next, a time-bomb engagement ring?"

"You shut up! It's not his fault the Zoid went crazy. Someone else must have screwed up. I'm sure Sen would have saved me."

"_I'm_ the one who saved you, and you have no idea what I'm in for because of this little rescue. I had to knock out a ZBC guard, sneak through the base, and take over a damaged Godos. That's at least an assault charge, trespassing, and theft. When the military courts get through with me I'll be lucky if I see daylight for a decade!"

"Relax." Leena waved her hand. "I'll just ask Sen to help you out."

"You meet him once and instantly you think he's wrapped around your finger."

She grinned. "Or maybe I should tell him you tried to get frisky with me after you snatched me away."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me." She made sure he caught the edge in her voice. "Now, put me down or at least let me into the cockpit."

"This cockpit's barely big enough to fit one pilot. You want to sit in my lap and get _really_ close?"

"I'll pass. Put me down."

"And then trip over myself while trying not to squash you? No. I think I'll just leave you out there for a while." Leena heard an audible click from the speaker and knew that Leo had shut off the external mic. So she used hand gestures for a while.

They trudged on for what seemed like a whole hour, though it was impossible to tell time. She hated being in canyons. They all looked the same and it was so easy to become as hopelessly lost as they were now. And… canyons scared her. Not that she was afraid of a bunch of rocks but she had bad memories of being terrified of canyon shadows. She'd fled through a similar path while being chased by bandits pretending to be "Chainsaw Man" of legend. She had fled blindly in her Gun Sniper, screaming all the way and dodging Spinosapper chain-saws at every turn. Her imagination and her memory still conspired to create ghost in the shadows ever since she'd felt such terror. And then there had been that strange ghost girl who had appeared before her, twice. No one else had seen her, even though she'd been in plain sight. That could only mean…

Finally fed up, Leena screamed, "Where the hell are we?"

The Godos' speakers came back on. "Sorry, what?"

"Where are we?"

Leo chuckled uneasily. "We're… lost."

"No kidding… What kind of a lame rescue is this?"

"The kind where you have to improvise because the person you're rescuing makes the job several times harder. We'd have been back at the Toros base by now if you hadn't ditched me!" Leo's reference to "the Toros base" was more frustrating than his idiotic grudge. Why couldn't he call it "home" or "our base" or some other nickname? He was still keeping everything distant, even in name.

"Why don't you just call the base and ask them to find us?"

"What makes you think the Cannon Fort won't detect the broadcast?"

"That thing's-"

"It's a Zoid. Not a thing." Sure, he could refer to his new home as if it were just another spot on the map but call a Zoid a _thing_ and suddenly he got all temperamental.

"Just call the base! I'd rather risk the Cannon Fort than spend another moment wandering around lost with you!"

Leo was about to snap back at her. He never got the chance, though. A loud rumbling shook the ground beneath them and for a moment Leena feared her earlier statement had come back to haunt her.

But the rumbling didn't come from the ground. It came from _under_ground. Large cracks ripped through the rock at the Godos feet and before Leena could shout a warning to Leo, she was screaming as they tumbled down into the darkness.  

                                                                                                         

There wasn't enough time to react. The ground had been secure one moment, paper the next. No chance to set Leena on a safe bluff or jump up and hope to land clear of the collapse. It was almost as if the ground itself was _trying_ to swallow them. He didn't remember how long they fell, or what he did during the plummet. Almost immediately after the ground gave way and Leo lost all orientation, a teeth-shaking jolt ran through Sentinel's body, shaking everything and nearly bouncing Leo out of the pilot's seat. The vibration faded slowly, giving Leo's innards a chance to settle down. He glanced outside and could only see darkness.

Leena! Had she survived the fall? What if Sentinel had landed on her and squashed her flat? What if the shock from their landing had snapped her neck? What if-

_Thump!_

Something bounced off the cockpit window. Leo only saw it for a moment, but the dim light seeping in from above made it look like a silver wrist band… the type Leena wore on her left arm. Leo flipped the external mic back on.

"HEY! Leo! Will you say something already?!"

"Leena, you're okay!"

"Okay? You call this okay? We're stranded underground with no one having the slightest clue where we are, and you think I'm _okay_."

Leo leaned back in his chair. There was nothing more relieving that Leena's complaining. "Nice to know the situation hasn't darkened your mood."

"Why you-"

_Thoommm__…_

Leo blinked. That didn't sound like a rock falling. It was almost like a footstep. Leena heard it as well and fell silent. They stood on an island of light, waiting for whatever prowled beyond. _Thoom__... Thoom_.

"Leo…" Leena's voice wavered. Leo could only "shh" her while he tried to find the source of the sound. _Thoom__………Thoom_.

Whatever it was, it was big, and the cavern's echo only made it sound worse. There wasn't a clear source, the sound kept bouncing off their surroundings. Leena said, "I think you should let me down." She tugged a little on Sentinel's grip.

_Thoom__…_

"No. Whatever's out there I think you're safer here with me."

_Thoom__…Thoom…_

"Then let me into the cockpit. I'll even sit in your lap."

_Thoom__…Thoom…Thoom…_ It was moving faster.

"Yeah…okay."

_Thoom__, Thoom, Thoom, Thoom, Thoom. _Damn it; it was charging! Leo swung Sentinel around and caught a brief flash of something lunging at him from the darkness. It was a myriad of gray and brown colors with a silver blade lashing out farthest. Sentinel dove the side and Leena screamed as she was flung about. The long blade was attached to an even longer copper arm. It looked as if the weapon was somehow built into the creature's body.

With Leena in harm's way there was little Leo could do to fight back. He needed to see what he was fighting. Whatever was attacking swung the blade in wide arc, wasting far too much force for one swing. Leo backtracked and nearly tripped over Sentinel's own feet but managed to steady himself in time to dodge another attack. He couldn't make out the beast's face. All he could see were two eyes that shone as bright as headlights. Judging from the outline this creature's right arm was far longer and stronger than the left, but its legs balanced the weight enough that it didn't fall. It wasn't a graceful fighter. It lunged and leaned this way and that, relying on ferocity and panic from its prey. Well, Leo had not intention of staying scared forever, and Leena's shouting was getting on his nerves.

"Control your Zoid with your mind." Leon had said. "Envision the movements even before you manipulate the controls. The Zoid will move with you." Easy for him to say. The only times Leo had ever managed to pull off a high-grade move, he hadn't been thinking or envisioning anything. It had just… happened. The blast on the Diloforce, evading the Cannon Fort, Leo had just moved without any conscious decision. He couldn't just do that at will, could he?

            It would be so much easier to figure out his own secret if Leena would just shut up for a minute. She could be so-

            Leena. That was it! In both cases, Leena had been in danger, and somehow that had forced Leo to maneuver Fang better than he had any time before. Well, Leena was most definitely in danger, as was he. But how to tap that need? How was he supposed to save Leena without actually thinking about it? The last two times had been at the very last second where the adrenaline rush was at a complete high. He _was_ scared, but there wasn't that exact moment of need; not like before. Meanwhile, all he could do was dodge and sidestep, which was better than he would have been able to do a few months ago.

            "LEO! DO SOMETHING!" Leena screamed with a mix of fury and panic. Leaving her out there in Sentinel's grasp was far more terrifying than trying to fight off this thing. At least Leo had some degree of control in the situation. Leena was forced to stay in the thick of it without any means of fighting back.

            Okay, no hesitating. He'd just have to trust that he'd be able to do something when the need arose. Leo pressed the foot pedals to the floor and Sentinel charged forward. Those two flashing eyes made it hard to discern the rest of the body, but Leo didn't miss the flash of silver that came from the beast's right. Sentinel managed to dodge the swipe and in that moment Leo saw his opening. It seemed so obvious, so simple; it was almost comical.

            But it was safe for Leena and Leo had nothing against an easy win. As the creature's forward momentum carried it past Sentinel, Leo stuck out the Godos' foot, tripping their opponent. The creature stumbled and fell and landed flat on its belly with a tremendous thud that shook the cavern. Not wasting time, Leo moved forward and used the creature's eyes as a beacon for where he would aim Sentinel's foot. Despite their small arms and thin legs, Godos had impressive-sized feet, perfect for squishing.

            For a moment he hesitated. He'd never killed anything before. Beaten, yes. Broke, yes. Shot up, yes, if could survive and be fixed. But never killed. Though there really wasn't any other way he could see. It was either end this creature's threat now, or have it come after them again. And so Leo pressed Sentinel's foot against the creatures head and began to press in.

            And that would have been the end of it had the creature not screamed. The sound was far too fresh in his memory. Leo had heard it barely an hour ago, coming from Sentinel when the Cannon Fort's shot blew off his arm. The creature was a Zoid! Another Godos. It made sense. Godos were often used in construction or excavation. That large silver and rust thing on its arm must be a drill. No wonder the weight made it so wobbly. All this came to Leo in a dizzying flash of realty along with one other though.

            I'm hurting a Zoid. I'm _killing_ a Zoid.

            He pulled Sentinel's leg off the other Godos' head. Leena was shouting something at him; probably egging him on to finish the job. But now Leo did have other options. He didn't have to kill. It didn't matter that it was too dark to see the rest of the Godos' body; he knew the design well enough to strike without a clear target. Every Godos had a built-in flaw. The space between its arms and legs held a thick bundle of nerves. Many pilots tried to compensate by adding armor to that section, but a close-range blow from this range would overcome any defenses. One swift kick landed on the Godos' midsection, applying enough pressure to cause a pain overload and send the Godos into a System Freeze. The rampaging Zoid gave one final cry, then went limp.

            Leo sat for a moment, panting and trying not to think about what he'd nearly done. Then he chided his own hypocrisy. If that had been some kind of monster, some unknown life form, then it was okay to kill it. But when you find out it's a Zoid—oh heaven forbid it die! You mustn't harm the Zoid that's trying to kill you and your friends. Knock it out, causing a freeze, but don't kill it. Only monsters should die.

            He felt like a fool. Nothing should die without a just cause. Killing for food was part of nature, killing to save a loved one was the lesser to two evils, but killing something simply because you were ignorant of its existence or showing mercy when you suddenly recognize it… that was unforgivable.

            Another burst of shouting from Leena snapped Leo out of his self-berating. He knelt Sentinel down and set Leena on the ground. He then checked the cockpit and found an emergency flashlight and small repair kit. He clambered out of the cockpit and found his way over to the fallen Godos. The ground was unusually smooth and even. He had wondered why he hadn't had any trouble moving around the environment. At first he'd hoped it was a sign that his piloting really had reached a new level, but it appeared he was actually working with a handicap. It was still too dark to see much. The other Godos' eyes—or headlights—had gone out during the Systems Freeze. He couldn't even see his way back to Sentinel.

            "Leena, you okay?"

            "Yeah." She called from the dark. Where are you?"

            "Over here." He waved the flashlight. Try to follow the light. I need to check something."

            "Wait, what if I trip on something?"

            "You won't. The ground's pretty much even around here. I think our friend here stomped down all the big rocks. Just take it slow and feel your way towards this light." He waved it again.

            "Our friend? Yeah right. I don't know what you call a friend, but I-ahh!" There was a loud thud.

            "Leena?"

            "Even ground, huh?" She sounded annoyed, not hurt. Leo exhaled.

            Returning his attention to the rogue Godos, Leo examined the main body. It was covered with rust spots, dirt, and many fractures. Rust for Zoids was something like wrinkles and arthritis for a human being; a sign of old age. Given the longevity of a Zoid (at least several times that of a human) this Godos had definitely been trapped here for a long time. Leo found a small service panel at the Zoid's neck and managed to pry it open with the repair kit tools. A few snips of a wire was all it took to cut off the Zoid's self-recovery program. It would sleep in System Freeze until someone repaired it. Leo didn't often perform such surgery on Zoids (after all, how would he feel if someone kept him asleep for days on end?), but they were already dealing with one violent Zoid. This was the only way to keep the Godos contained without killing it.

            Leo heard scuffling feet nearby and turned the flashlight on Leena. She shielded her eyes from the light. "Watch where you point that thing!"  
            "Sorry."

            "You could have held it up more so I could see it! I nearly fell several times."

            "Again, sorry. I had to make sure this Godos didn't wake up and attack us again." Leena reached out and took the flashlight from him. "Hey!"  
            "I need this." She started walking away. Leo followed.

            "For what?"

            "Remember that bracelet I threw to get your attention?"

            "Don't tell me you're going to look for it."

            "Why shouldn't I?"

            Leo was so stunned he almost let Leena get away; but without the flashlight Leo was stranded in the darkness. "We're not exactly out of the woods yet. We're stranded underground while the Cannon Fort is still up there, looking for us. This isn't the time to be worried about fashion."

            Though he couldn't see it, Leo knew Leena was waving her hand. "It'll only take a second." He sighed and followed her as far as Sentinel. Once he returned to the pilot's seat, he sent out a distress signal. Even if the Cannon Fort did pick up the message, the chance of rescue was now well worth the risk. Too bad the message never made it past the cavern's walls. They were too far underground and too deep within the maze of ravines and valleys for the message to reach any hope of rescue. Leo leaned back in the pilot's seat and sighed. He didn't want to think of how this situation could get any worse, because that rhetoric often _did _make things worse. It took a while before Leena returned, flashlight and bracelet in hand. "Found it."  
            "Good for you." Leo made sure she wouldn't be able to miss the sarcasm. He exited the cockpit once again and took the flashlight back, then led Leena on an short exploration of the cavern. Much to their relief, they found a tunnel that seemed to take them out of the cavern and—hopefully—towards freedom. It was too small for Sentinel. The only way this cavern could have been created was if that rampaging Godos had used its drill to dig. But why carve out such a small tunnel? Had the Godos been trying to escape and lapsed into madness before completing the tunnel? It didn't seem likely. It was too well-carved to be a half-finished job. Leo felt a deep foreboding about entering the passageway, but Leena insisted. She had to reassure him that she would convince "Sen" to send a rescue squad for Sentinel before Leo would even take another step.

            "We're all going to die here if we just sit around and wait. Then your Godos buddy will have to sit back and rust just like that freaky Zoid. Let's _go_." Submitting to her less-than-gentle persuasion, Leo took a deep breath and took his first step into the darkness. This was all too familiar.

            Geography would not stop him. Vaez was too smart to even let nature thwart his goals. The ZBC had conducted extensive topographic scans since the Rarehertz subsided, and he knew exactly how to find his way to Leena Toros. He'd made sure that the Cannon Fort was outfitted with several tracking and spy-ware devices so that he could bask in Leena's strength and keep her under his eye. Now that very technology would save her life. Wherever Leena went, the Cannon Fort was sure to be close behind. Destroying his traitorous gift would further endear himself to his future queen, and erase an unprovoked script change.

            Oriudos' comm. chimed to signal an incoming message. "This is Vaez."

            "Sir." The Rarehertz base's chief scientist reported. "We think we might have an explanation for the Cannon Fort's sudden attack." This man obviously had a pension for drama, given the prolonged pause between his statement and explanation. Vaez did not take the bait. He remained silent and composed while pursuing his goal. He dictated the scenes to the actors, not the other way around. The disappointment in the scientist's voice was obvious. "It was a Rarehertz pulse, but unlike any we've seen before. It was focused solely on the Cannon Fort's Command System, as if the pulse itself was aimed. What's more, we cannot find the source of the pulse. The scans of the immediate area don't register any pulse, whereas the Cannon Fort's sensors did pick up the energy surge. Given the discrepancy, I think the Rarehertz pulse may have been temporal. That means-"

            "I am well aware of the definition of 'temporal.' Report back if you discover anything new." He switched off the channel without waiting for a reply. Vaez grinned slightly at how disappointed the scientist must be feeling; his chance to flaunt his own knowledge denied. It was important for the director to always keep his subordinates in line so as to maintain a clear chain of command. This scientist had useful information, but that did not exempt him from his place in the natural order.

            And what interesting information it was. A temporal Rarehertz blast; shot through time and space to strike the very core of the Cannon Fort. Such power was not unimaginable. After all, Zoid Eve was said to have the greatest power of all Zoids. With such immense power, why should she be chained to the present?

            Yet that only led to another question. Why use her vast power to send the Cannon Fort on a rampage and try to kill Leena Toros? Simple: if Zoid Eve could see into the future, she already knew Vaez's destiny. She knew Vaez would succeed, despite her unwarranted disappearance, and she feared him. She feared forfeiting her power to him and becoming the source of his new empire. Well, too bad.

            He was nearing the Cannon Fort now. Strange that it had not moved recently. Perhaps it had found Leena. Best to hurry then, but something did not seem right. Vaez peered closer to the dot on the map overlay. The Cannon Fort remained near the valley wall, so close in fact that it looked as though it was _inside_ the wall. Apparently Oriudos' technicians required a pay cut, or maybe a reassignment to a more inhospitable location.

            Or not. It seemed that the technicians would not suffer any reprimand this time. For the Cannon Fort was actually within the valley wall, or under it at least. Rounding the corner, Vaez saw a freshly-made cave, easily big enough to house most Zoids. Further inspection revealed that it was not a cave, but rather a tunnel, leading down so far Oriudos' lights could not penetrate the darkness. This was truly an anomaly. There had been no excavation sites nearby and this cave certainly had not existed for long. More of your trickery, Zoid Eve?

            Vaez moved forward into the dark tunnel in pursuit of his prey. Perhaps Zoid Eve sought to bury Leena Toros before she could come into her full role as Vaez's Queen. As he had said before, too bad. Zoid Eve's role was already decided, and nothing she could do would obstruct Vaez's goals. Leena Toros would survive this assassination attempt, and she would become his queen. She would be the answer to all his desires, and with her by his side he would rule Zi as was his birthright. Not even Zoid Eve could deny that future.

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            Author's Note: Truth be told, I'm not sure if I'm foreshadowing or giving away the plot right now. Guess I'll know when I get deeper into the story. I will try to speed up on writing the next chapter, but by now that's probably a hallow reassurance. Odds are I'll be apologizing for being late again.

            Reviews are always welcome. Thank you for reading my story.


	10. Necropolis

Battle Dawn

Chapter 10: Necropolis

by Silver

Author's Note: Sorry to have been away for so long. Having finished my Digimon Fic, "Darkness Reborn," I am now free to focus on this fic alone.

I'm anxious to see how people react to this chapter since it is here that will start taking some liberties with the story, mainly concerning plot holes, gaps, and under-explained aspects from the New Century storyline. I'll also be working on gradually changing the characters. How will I change them? Well, you'll have to wait and see.

Special thanks go to ZeroPioneer, who proofread this story and helped catch some major typos and one plot inconsistency. I've had to edit a few of the older chapters. Leo's former designation, 12514, has been changed to 12515, and his rival is now 12516. The reason for this change will become apparent later on in this chapter.

I also want to thank all the people who took the time to read and review. Your input helps make this story better.

He couldn't see anything, and he couldn't tell time. After crawling into the wall and finding his way around lots off different sections, he didn't know where he was. He must have been gone a long time and by now the angry men would probably notice he was gone. He should have turned back, but there wasn't any room. The walls pressed in and scraped against his shoulders and thighs and made everything hot. It hurt to move. He winced but kept crawling. But why? He would get into trouble if he was gone much longer. Why keep moving this way? Because the angry men were behind him, that's why. He couldn't tell why, but he could feel himself getting farther away from the angry men. No matter where this darkness went, it had to be better than the place where the angry men lived and hit him because he didn't want to kill Zoids. Outside would be better.

What was outside? He had only left the base to train, and all he ever saw was desert. Sometimes he overheard a pilot or tech saying he was going home for a vacation. He one time asked a tech what home was and the man had smiled and said, "home is where you truly belong. It's the place where you feel most comfortable. You're happy just to be there, and there are people who are happy to have you with them."

Everyone made it sound like he belonged at the base, learning to kill Zoids; but he hated it there. He wasn't comfortable or happy and the angry men didn't like having him around. The base was not home, so his home must be somewhere else. Maybe the dark was his way back home.

His hand rubbed against something metal, covering the tunnel of darkness, but it wasn't smooth like the metal in the base. It was bumpy, rough. This is what the techs called "rust." He'd felt it before on an old Zoid that the angry men had wanted him to blow up. It had been this weird color that didn't belong on the Zoid. It made the Zoid look sick. He had tried to take the rust off, but it didn't work. The rust was part of the Zoid, even though it didn't belong. Then the angry man in charge had kicked him away and ordered to fire on "the old wreck." He refused, just like always, and he'd been hit, just like always. He was like rust to these angry men. He didn't belong, but he was a part of their group.

Then another boy, 12507, had been ordered to blow up the Zoid, and he'd done it. He hadn't enjoyed it like 12516 did, but he'd still killed a Zoid that couldn't even fight back. It wasn't fair, and that was why he had to get away. Rust wouldn't stop him.

He pressed his hands against the rust square that blocked his crawling and braced his feet against the sides of the tunnel (or air duct as the angry men called it. Was he even still in an air duct?). He pushed hard with his whole body and nearly fell out over the side when he heard the rust square bang on the floor. That rust stuff made it really easy to break metal. Maybe that was why the techs and Zoids didn't like it.

But what should he do now? He couldn't turn around and climb out because the "duct" was too small. He couldn't go back the way he came after coming this far. Maybe he was close to home! So there really was only one thing he could do.

This was the only thing he liked about being with the angry men. They taught him how to do this cool stuff that even most grown-ups couldn't do. If it didn't mean he had to kill a Zoid (or a human. He didn't want to kill anyone, even the angry men), then he would learn it. Hand-to-hand fighting, weaponry, endurance, gymnastics; as long as no one got hurt, he learned them all. He even taught himself a little, like how to fire a gun and hit a target where it wouldn't kill him; or how to knock a guy out real quick instead of drawing the fight out. Most of that was simply trying something and seeing if it actually worked. He practiced the gun stuff on targets where a computer said if it was a kill or a wound. He had learned that anywhere on the head, chest, or groin would probably be a kill. Instead it was better to focus on the shoulders and legs, since without those moving right a person couldn't be much of a danger. And he had watched the angry men practice fighting with each other. He saw where they hit each other, and noticed whenever they stopped or held back because they knew when they were about to really hurt someone. After a while, it was easy to see how to hit a guy without killing him.

Good thing he hadn't had to learn anything extra about gymnastics. This kind of stuff wasn't meant to kill people like guns and fighting, and it was a lot harder to learn. He pulled himself forward and tried to flip as he fell out. He couldn't land on his feet, but at least he started rolling as he went down. He tucked his head under his knees and curled up as tight as he could. Stay away from the wall so you don't hit your head when you land, but don't fall too war forward or you might fall longer than you want. He was barely ready when he hit the ground. It was metal, like everything else in the base, and it hurt, bad. It wasn't as bad as the beating from before, though. His body ached from the fall but he held back his tears. Crying made him feel better, but it hadn't stop the angry men from killing Thunder, and it didn't make them stop hitting him. When something needed doing, crying didn't help. He needed to keep going.

It was still too dark to see. He put his hand against the wall and kept walking. He was limping again, and his body hurt all over. It was worth it to go home. What would home be like? Was someone waiting for him? Did someone miss him? No one at this base would miss him, not even the other trainees. Especially not 15216. This base was _his_ home. He liked fighting and killing. He even scared the angry men with all his killing. Any place that was home to 15216 couldn't be a home for him.

The men at the base, both the angry ones and the techs, kept mentioning words like "brothers" and "sisters" and "mom" and "dad." The only person who had explained those words had been a medic who was caring for him after another beating. He had explained that brothers and sisters were people who came from the same mom and dad that gave birth to him. When he'd asked who his mom and dad were, the medic had become really sad and said that he shouldn't ask those questions. There was no mom or dad, and definitely not any brothers or sisters. But if he was alive, shouldn't he have a mom and dad somewhere? Maybe he'd find them if he ever got out of here.

His hand brushed against something sticking out of the wall. A light switch. He flipped it, but nothing happened. Then there was a loud hum, a tiny bit of light filtered down from the ceiling. It wasn't much but he could at least see a little bit around him. There was a lot of broken equipment in this place, and wires lying around. Some boxes lay over in a corner, knocked over and rusty. When he went to take a look he found some very old jump suites like what the techs wore. They were too big to fit him but the place was cold so he put on one and rolled up the sleeves and legs. It was hard to walk and not trip.

He had heard of some places like this; abandoned military bases where some of the hangers lay really deep within a mountain or inside the ground. The base he lived in must have been built on top of this old one.

There was something over in the corner, something big. It had four legs and a long snout with small teeth that were all rusty like the duct plate. It looked like it had rusty spots on its body too. Cracks and dents covered its body, and even its cockpit window was broken up. This Command Wolf must have been abandoned because it was so broken. It was a lot like Thunder and the other Zoids the angry men used as "targets." Now he was mad. Whoever left this Zoid behind wasn't any better than the angry men!

He walked over to the Command Wolf and climbed in to the pilot's chair after trying to clean it up a little. Just like before, the rust didn't come off. The Zoid didn't get mad or say he couldn't come in. Maybe it was lonely and wanted some company. He still couldn't think of a good name for this Zoid. "Rusty" fit but that sounded like an insult. "Hello. Have you been here long?" The Zoid's body groaned and shook. This one had been here a long time, and he didn't like to talk about it.

He brushed off the console and tried to find the power button. When he finally pressed it, the Zoid didn't try to move. Its body was too tired. The only thing that did work was the monitor screen.

INPUT PILOT NAME:

How cool! The Zoid was talking to him, kinda. "Oh… I don't have a name."

ERROR

"No, it's true. I don't have a name. All the adults I live with have names, but everyone just calls me a number. Maybe I'll get a name when I'm an adult."

ERROR

"What? You mean I should have a name now?"

INPUT PILOT NAME:

"But I told you I don't _have_ a name. Everyone just calls me 12515."

PILOT REGISTRATION: 12515

"I don't want _that_ for a name. Who wants to have a number for a name?"

UNIT: COMMAND WOLF

STANDARD UNIT

SERIAL NUMBER: 15364781R

"So you don't have a name either… Well, I'll give you one. I'm good at giving names." But not Rusty. That was a bad name for this talking Zoid. Maybe there was something in the cockpit that would help. He glanced around, but there wasn't much to see. Most of the displays and panels were cracked and broken, and there wasn't a lot of light. There was one that wasn't broke, but it was really dark and hard to read. He leaned closer to get a better look at it. There were two words just above a red button. It was weird. The button was covered by glass. This was one of those buttons he shouldn't touch. The angry men always told him not to press buttons like this; and if it made them scared then he definitely didn't want to touch it. The words above the button didn't seem bad, though. He couldn't read the first word. It was too big. "Rag… Ragni…. Ragook" That would be a lousy name. What good was a name that people couldn't say?" The other word was smaller and much easier to read. "Fang. Okay, I'll call you Fang."

The words on the screen changed.

UNIT: COMMAND WOLF

STANDARD UNIT

SERIAL NUMBER: 15364781R

ID: FANG

"That's great! You have a name now. You're lucky."

PILOT REGISTRATION: 12515

"I said I didn't want that for a name! You're being mean!"

12 5 15

"What are you doing?"

12 5 15

L E O

"L-E-O? L-Leo? You're naming me Leo?"

UNIT: Command Wolf

STANDARD UNIT

SERIAL NUMBER: 15364781R

ID: Fang

PILOT REGISTRATION: 12515

PILOT NAME: LEO

"Leo… Leo…" he grinned. "My _name _is Leo!"

"Leo! LEO! PAY ATTENTION!" Leena's shouting snatched him back to the present. They were still in the dark cave, though it was far more spacious than the air duct from so long ago. Leo was in front with a flashlight with Leena half a step behind. She was unusually jumpy. Come to think of it, her fuse had been even shorter—practically non-existent—since this whole mess started.

Then again, Leo hadn't been any calmer until this darkness reminded him of how he'd gotten his name and a life-long friend. "Will you calm down? Things are looking better for us."

"Better? Better how?"

"We lost the Cannon Fort, survived a fall and an attack by a second rampaging Zoid, and we found a passage out of the cavern. Given everything that's been thrown at us, we've been pretty lucky."

"You call this 'lucky?' We're stranded underground with some psycho Zoid just above our heads!"

"You don't know that. The Cannon Fort could be miles away by now."

"Or it could be really close!"

Leo was glad she couldn't see his smirk. "You're a real optimist, you know that?"

"And since when did you become mister cool-and-collected?"

"Dark places don't bother me that much. I've had some good luck in the dark…"

"Could you be a little vaguer?"

Leo laughed. "Easily."

"Argh! You are so frustrating!" Strange, they had shared several conversations like this and while there had always been an undercurrent of tension, Leo had sensed that Leena relaxed more when they quipped. That wasn't happening now. She was more on edge than ever and Leo's comments only made things worse.

"Leena, what's bothering you? It's not just the Cannon Fort, or our situation, is it?"

By the thin luminance of the flashlight Leo could see the conflict on her face. This wasn't his to ask since he'd only been with the Blitz Team a short while; but if Leena's emotions started causing troubles then it would his concern. Besides, he was worried about her.

Leena decided to answer. "About two months before the Royal Cup I was targeted by a bunch of Zoid thieves who were pretending to be the "Chainsaw Man," an urban legend. They'd send out e-mails asking about strong Zoid warriors, and if you told them you were the strongest of all they'd threaten to slice up your Zoid."

Leo rolled his eyes. "And you actually told them you were the strongest?"

"Shut up! Yes, I did, but it's true that I really am strong since I'm in Class S, right?"

"You weren't Class S at that-OW!" Leena slapped the back of his head.

"I said shut up! If you want to know why I'm so nervous you could at least be polite enough to listen!" She took a deep breath. "It turns out that my Dad started the Chainsaw Man rumor years before, and these punks were just using that as a cover for stealing Zoids parts. Once they hacked a custom Zoid they made off with all the parts."

"And a gun-loaded monster like your Gun Sni-Ouch!" Another slap.

"I started to believe that the Chainsaw Man really was coming after me and I started to panic. When they finally came I ran with my Gun Sniper into this canyon range and had to wait for Bit, Naomi, and the others to help. We finally blew away the thieves in their new Spinosappers and that was the end of the Chainsaw Man."

Leo shrugged. "So what's the problem? You got the criminals, so there's nothing to be scared of, right?"

"Well…" Ah, he could tell this was what was really scaring Leena. "I saw something else during the week I thought the Chainsaw Man was coming after me. I saw this… little girl. She was dressed in a white dress with a big sun hat and she was always bouncing this ball. She had this eerie glow around her and-"

"Oh, I saw that movie."

Leena didn't hit him this time. "What?"

"That character you're describing, she's from 'Child of Mine.' You know, the cult horror movie? Everyone's seen it, even me. I saw it when I was like ten years old! Scared me half to death. You must have rented the movie that week, right?"

Leena stared at him, dumbfounded. Then, realization dawned. "Oh, yes! I _did_ see that movie when I was a kid. My Dad took me and my brother and we both went home crying because we were so scared! That ghost girl terrified us both."

"So you rented a scary movie when you were already on edge? Are you some kind of fear freak that gets a rush out of being terrified?"

"NO! That's just it. I didn't rent a movie, I saw the _girl_, twice. The first time she was outside a Zoids store just before some guy's Rev Raptor got slashed, and she appeared again during the fight with the thieves. She was standing beneath a sixth Spinosapper, even though there were only five crooks!"

"Okay, slow down." Leo motioned for calm. Talking about this only made Leena more nervous. "So you say you saw a ghost girl and a Zoid that didn't really exist."

"It DID exist! I saw it!"

"Did anyone else?"

"… no…."

Leo took a deep breath. Saying "sorry, Leena, but you're crazy" wouldn't help any more here than crying used to help against the angry men. "Okay, I can't say I fully understand what happened, but that's not going to happen here. The Cannon Fort isn't anywhere near us, there're no thieves after you, and we haven't seen any ghosts. I'm here, and I won't let you out of my sight. If anything goes wrong, I'll protect you. Okay?"

"Yeah… okay…" Leena's expression softened, but then she became fiery again. "Waitaminute, who said I need you to protect me? You don't think I can take care of myself?"

"Ah, that's the Leena I recognize!" He laughed.

"Why you!" She started throwing punches in the dark. "Just because you saved my life once-"

"Twice!"

"Either way, don't start thinking I need you to look out for me all the time!" Leo continued to laugh and moved away from Leena, keeping the light focused where she could see the ground. She chased him the rest of the way down the tunnel with Leo's laughter and Leena's threats echoing in their wake.

Zoid Eve's conspiracy became more and more apparent. As Oriudos used its nimble hoofs to slide down the mysterious tunnel, Vaez experienced a déjà vu from his first trip into Eveopolis. Sure enough, he emerged into the desolate city that had once been the crown jewel of all Zi. He had apparently come out at the opposite end of the city. The cradle building for Zoid Eve still mocked him with its empty column. For a moment, raw anger flared in his veins and tried to force his hands to blast everything in sight; to smite the city that had failed his expectations. He did not succumb to his anger. That was for weaker men.

Far better to focus his energy on understanding how this entrance suddenly existed. On either side of the tunnel's mouth lay two Guysacks. One scorpion Zoid's claws had been removed and replaced with a wide shovel while the other's claws had been modified with a drill and shovel, obviously designed to break through hard rock. One was the digger, the other cleared the debris. For these two Zoids to dig a tunnel to the surface would take years, even decades. All this to get the Cannon Fort into Eveopolis… was Leena Toros here as well?

Splendid! What a welcome plot twist. Good things would come of this. Yet something was not right. If Zoid Eve truly wished Leena dead, why go to such elaborate means? Unleashing the Cannon Fort, luring her into Eveopolis, and then digging a path for the assassin itself; this was needlessly complex. If Zoid Eve was plotting murder, surely it could simply order the nearest Zoid to strike Leena down without warning. A near-god like Zoid Eve had no reason to show off. Perhaps Eve had her own plans, or maybe she had accepted Vaez's designs as was working towards their fulfillment? What better proof of legitimacy than to have the mother of all Zoids endorse you?

"Only the desperate jump to a conclusion. Act with knowledge of your ignorance, and plan around it, filling in pieces as you go. Flexible but resolute, that is the path of our family." Grandfather was such a well of knowledge. A shame he hadn't been smart enough to follow his successor when the time came.

It would be foolish to try to guess Zoid Eve's motives. As he had told the reporters above ground, he would simply ask Zoid Eve when he saw her. Vaez moved Oriudos forward, sidestepping the burnt-out Zoids and heading deeper into the heart of the city.

Great; as if they didn't have enough to deal with. Now they couldn't even move through the tunnel. Leo's flashlight cast small shadows across the wall of soil that blocked their path. Leena felt like screaming until the whole place collapsed around their heads. What had she done to deserve this? How could she go from being courted by the most powerful man on Zi to being stuck in some underground prison with the most infuriatingly vague and secretive man on Zi? Leo was worse than Brad! At least Brad had shown he was a real teammate. Leo's more relaxed attitude was just a cover, no different from Brad's Mr. Cool persona. Leena didn't even understand why she was so frustrated about this, especially when they had bigger concerns; but ever since coming down here she'd become keenly aware of how little she knew about Leo as a person. They'd spoken many times, but he always talked about Zoids or her. Not that she minded talking about herself, but maybe it was harder to trust Leo since she didn't know anything about him.

She especially wanted to know why he was so calm about this. Even with the barrier laughing in his face, he didn't show any signs of frustration. In fact, he'd had this stupid smirk on his face since they'd entered the tunnel! Weird change for a guy who'd been so depressed about leaving a Zoid behind. "What's so funny?"

"Hmm?" As if he didn't know. Jerk.

"Why are you smirking?"

"Oh, well, it's just that this whole situation is kinda familiar."

"Yeah, sure, you've had 'good luck in the dark.'" She quoted him with the worst imitation she could manage. "Is this part of your luck too?"

"Yes." Damn stupid jerk! She could tell by the way he spoke he wouldn't explain what he meant. Instead, all he did was hand the flashlight to Leena, place his hands on the wall, and push hard. The wall didn't budge. "Brilliant plan. If you keep that up we might get out of here before we turn sixty."

Leo huffed. "You could always help. Then we might get out of here before we turn thirty."

Leena rolled her eyes, shoved the flashlight at him, and walked forward. "It's a pile of rock and dirt! You can't honestly expect to be able to push it in." She raised one foot and kicked with all her strength, just to prove that the wall was as thick as Leo's head. For a moment she stood triumphant, smiling at him. Then the wall around her began to shake and crumble. Leo grabbed her arm and yanked her back as chunks of rock and dirt tumbled and smashed onto the ground. The sounds of the cave-in exploded in her ears, followed only by the sound of her heart thundering. For a moment, she stood trembling, clutching on to the nearest thing; until she realized it was Leo. The she yelped, stepped back, and slapped him.

"OW! Will you stop doing that?" Leo rubbed his cheek. Nice to see him lose a little bit of that unwarranted optimism.

"I didn't say you could hold on to me!"  
"_You_ were holding on to _me_. Gods of Zi, you're impossible!" He stormed past her and stepped over the debris and into a newly revealed cavern. "By the way, nice kick." Then he muttered something amusingly. While she couldn't hear it clearly, she could have sworn he'd said "Barbarian woman."

Even more furious at Leo and positive he had tricked her into kicking that wall, Leena marched after him. "Hey, I've still got the flashlight, remember?" No response. "Leo! Don't you ignore me! Leo?" And he called her impossible? Did he have any idea how frustrating it was to be around a guy who was ready to bolt the first chance he got? Oh sure, he said he'd protect her (as if she really needed it), but why should she put any trust in a guy whose master plan was to work with her team for a little bit, then leave as soon as he had what he wanted?

"Whoa…" Leo's voice no longer held the optimism from before. Rather, he spoke with complete awe. Stepping through the archway, Leena saw there wasn't any need for the flashlight. A thin blue veil illuminated the new area, which was filled with dozens of pods, varying in size with the largest roughly the size of a man and the smallest the size of an infant. Something about these things made Leena's skin crawl. She'd heard about old Terran movies where monsters leaped out of eggs and grabbed people's faces, but these didn't look like eggs. They were teardrop-shaped with emerald-colored glass and dark metal capping the top and bottom. All were covered with dust and caked-on mud. Leo was moving between pods, trying to get a look inside. "I've heard about these things." He said more to himself than Leena. "These must be Organoid capsules." He continued trying to peer in, but the crud covering the pods was too thick. Leena spotted another pod farther back that didn't look as dirty and decided to investigate herself. Part of her wondered if maybe they could use an Organoid to escape from here.

She'd never enjoyed history. Zi was so different from the days before the great cataclysm, and people had bounced back quickly from the days of small towns and tiny cities. Now it was large cities with only a few farmlands in poorer areas. As far as she was concerned, the Ancient Zoidians were a long-gone race that had no bearing on the future, and people weren't the same as they were fifty or a hundred years ago. Why dwell on something that long gone? She didn't even remember what she'd heard about Organoids. Only that they were small Zoids that served Zoidians. Maybe if they awoke one, it could be their ticket out. In that case, she'd definitely take more interest in Zoidian history.

But weren't Organoids supposed to be really big? This capsule was big enough to fit her, but the one next to it wouldn't even fit Jamie. Could Zoids really live in these things?

She peered closely at the tarnished surface. It didn't seem like a Zoid, even a small one, could fit in something like this. She cleaned off one part with her hand and leaned closer. Then she screamed as a human skull sneered back at her. Somehow she wound up pressed against the cavern wall, as far from the vile container as she could. Leo was beside her, asking what was happening. All she could do was point at that terrifying piece of death and say "T-there. There!" Leo stepped away momentarily to check for himself. Leena's mind couldn't wrap around the grim horror. She'd never seen a dead body before. Science classes always had a skeleton model for reference, but that was expected. Down here, where there shouldn't be any skeletons or human remains, its very presence made her whole body sick and her head throbbed. She'd never felt fear like this before, not even when running from the Chainsaw Men.

Leo was moving past the one pod and checking the others. How could he go near any more of them after seeing that? It was hot down here, and her whole body felt wrong. She staggered up to go after him, not willing to let him abandon her at a time like this. It was then that the skeletons leaped out of their prisons and lunged for her.

Damn. These weren't Organoid capsules at all. They were hibernation chambers for Ancient Zoidians. Leo wasn't sure whether to feel disappointed or excited. No Organoids meant no easy way out of here. With an Organoid, they could have returned to the cave where Sentinel rested, flown up through the hole, and returned to the Blitz Team's base. Provided the Organoid was cooperative, of course, but Leo had never heard of an Organoid that resisted people. Even the devil Organoid Ambient followed Hiltz the Butcherer's orders, and Specula and Shadow followed Reese the Blue Devil and Raven the Maverick. Leo grinned slightly at his own use of the popular titles for those historical figures. They were always spoken with such reverence, even if people didn't fully understand the meaning behind the words. Leo himself said the names without breath.

But no Organoids. That's what it all came back to. Instead, these were the resting places of Zoidians who had apparently tried to sleep through Zi's destruction, just like Fiona the Ancient. Unfortunately, these people had not been so lucky. The life-supports had given out, turning the life pods into death chambers as the people within suffocated. It seemed that most had passed away in their sleep, perhaps trapped in hibernation despite the lack of air. Others had tried to break their way out having awakened and realized their peril. Time and again Leo scrapped away the covering to look inside and see only the remains of a trapped soul. Some leaned right up against the glass, yearning for freedom even after death. It turned his stomach, but he was used to seeing unfair deaths and human remains. It happened if you traveled in troubled areas enough. Some people grew cold and didn't register any emotion; others never stopped caring and could be broken by enough loss. Leo liked to think he lay somewhere in between.

This was definitely Leena's first real encounter with death. She had to have heard about it, seen it in movies and on televiewers, but no matter how authentic the fiction it could never really prep a person for the consequences of reality. Leena was normally a fiery and strong-willed person. She'd certainly given him enough grief since staying with the Blitz. Seeing her tremble in the corner was more frightening than anything else. He wanted to get her away from this place, but he had to check first to see if any Zoidians had actually survived. Who knew when the next party would arrive to look for survivors; and by then it might be too late.

Leena's second scream brought the search to a complete halt. He ran back through the slalom of glass pods and slammed into Leena, who came charging around the corner, tears in her eyes. He nearly fell back from the force of her blow, but she clung to his shirt and buried her face in his chest. "Get them away! Get me out of here! Don't let them get me!"

What? Leo looked around, not sure what she was talking about. "There's no one here but us."

Leena looked around nervously. "I… I saw one of those skeletons… they…" Leena's skin was noticeably paler, almost a sickly gray; her eyes were drooping. He checked her forehead. She had a fever, a big one. Something was very wrong with this place. This went beyond shock from seeing death. Maybe Leena had contracted some kind of virus down here. Except that Leo wasn't sick. That, or he had caught the same virus and hadn't felt the effects yet. No way to know unless it actually happened.

"Leena, no one's after you. There's nothing here but memories and remains. Nothing here can hurt you."

"But I saw… they came out of the pods and… and…" Her legs gave out as she wretched and threw up. She nearly fell forward into the vomit but Leo grabbed her and pulled her back. "I… I'm dying…" she panted.

"No, you're not. We're leaving." He scooped her up, buckling a little under the surprising weight, and moved towards what looked like a small passageway at the other end of the chamber.

"I can walk…"

"Yeah, right. I can fly us out of here."

"I might throw up again."

"Then please aim for my shoulder. Don't mess up my face."

"…I can still move…"

Leo smiled. "Yeah, I know. Humor me." He carried her out of the chamber, hoping that he hadn't accidentally missed a survivor. The passageway was oddly shaped. The walls were made of rock, jutting out at odd angles and making it hard for Leo to carry Leena through some places. This cave looked natural, but seemed too convenient to have happened by chance. The stagnant air stank of sulfur, ash, and other molten odors. It was hot and muggy, causing Leo to sweat from head to toe. As bad as things were for Leo, they had to be ten times worse for Leena, who was seemed to be delirious now. She kept moaning and trying to squirm out of his arms. "No. NO! Get away from me! Don't come any closer!" The way she limply kicked her feet reminded him of running. Leena didn't seem like the type that liked to run away. What could terrify her so?

She was running through a city she didn't recognize, with half the buildings falling down around her ears and the other half going up in flames. Before her, flames ripped apart buildings, plants, and people. Behind her, a towering nightmare breathed death. It was pitch black with bloody eyes and oversized claws. From its gapping jaw came a stream of fire that vaporized everything around her. All this was both alien and familiar to her at the same time, as if she were two different people. That thing overhead was a death monster. There was no better term for it.

The ground trembled from the creature's steps, and continued to rumble after it stopped. Twin blasts erupted from beneath, adding to the destruction around her. Two giant Scorpions, nightmare versions of Guysacks, screeched a challenge to the death monster and brandished their claws. Both strange creatures were covered in armor, cut at sharp angles with small openings on the heads for some kind of machine gun. The stingers atop their tales were small cannons and appeared to be the main weapons. The death monster fired a blast of energy at the new rivals, who scattered sideways and retaliated with similar blasts from their tail cannons. Their fire was weaker than that of the death monster, but still inflicted pain.

The battle raged between the death monster and the scorpions. Already decimated sections of the city became dust as the energy blasts lashed back and forth. The death monster withstood the blows to its body and returned with twice the force while the scorpions evaded most blasts and continued to circle their prey. For a long while it seemed as though this fight would go on forever.

Then a fourth figure joined the battle. It was half as tall as the death monster, but walked on four legs. Two long horns jutted out from the crest atop its head and a third poked up from the snout. The large head crest protected its neck and seemed to absorb the death monster's blasts. One burst of energy set the crest to glowing white-hot, but it quickly cooled and returned to normal. Its two larger horns threatened to impale the death monster. In defense, it grasped the two horns and held the charging three-horn creature back, firing its deadly breath futilely. This gave an opening for the scorpions.

The two smaller creatures leaped on to the death monster's body and began skinning their claws deep into its skin. The death monster screamed but could do nothing. Releasing its grip on the three-horn creature would mean impalement. For all its terror and power, the death monster could only scream and shake as the scorpions carved into its skin and poisoned it with blasts from their tail cannons. The cries of the four monsters tore at her ears, making her scream all the more. When it seemed as though she'd go mad from the pain, a blue light shown down from the sky, breaking through the smoke and debris hanging in the air.

Still roaring in unfocused rage, the death monster toppled backward. The scorpions jumped off and shied away from the blue light, as did the three-horn. The light turned to liquid and flowed around the death monster, then hardened into a mirror-like slab. With one final roar of defiance, the death monster's chest opened and ejected a shinning red core that seemed to be filled with pure hatred and malice. The core rocketed away, though the scorpions and three-horn tried to shoot it down. Now the death monster's body was only an empty shell, half-encased within a mirror as tall as most buildings.

The line then shone over her, and for a moment she screamed and turned to run, afraid that she too would end up imprisoned. Then she hit Leo's head. "OW! Damn it! Even when you're sick you hit me."

Leena tried to get up, but her body didn't want to move. The most she could do was turn her head just slightly. There was nothing to see beyond the flashlight's range. They were surrounded in total darkness. She managed to look the other way and saw light reflecting off water. Leo was dabbing a wet cloth—torn from his own jacket—on her forehead. It cooled the fire on her skin.

"Looks like your fever's broken. As illnesses go, that was pretty quick." He stepped away and dipped the cloth into a fountain. Judging from the faint light, the water source looked clean and untouched, despite the rubble and cracks on the ground.

"Where am I?"

Leo sat down next to her. She was lying on a bench in what must have been a park, long ago. Hadn't they been in a cave?

"Brace yourself." Leo had an odd grin. "We're in Eveopolis." When Leena didn't respond, Leo chuckled. "That name doesn't mean anything, does it?" She didn't waste the energy to shake her head. "Okay, let me explain. After we left that chamber, you passed out and started having fever dreams. There wasn't anything I could do to help, so I kept moving and hoped we might find a way out and I could call a medic or something. But when we finally got out of that passageway, we came out in the middle of a city, buried here underground.

"Back at the base, I heard people talking about excavations and disappointment. Couple that with the capsules and an underground city it's not hard to figure out where we are." He explained about Zoid Eve and the Rarehertz. "We're right in the middle of the most ancient city on Zi; the home of the Ancient Zoidians."

"A city?... What does it look like?"

Leo shrugged. "Not much of a view since there's no light. Lots of damage, though. I'm amazed I found this fountain here. The water's clean and the fountains almost untouched. It's like something's been keeping it safe. Lucky for us, huh?"

Leena moaned. "I had a dream. There was a city burning around me, and there was this big black… thing blowing everything up. And there were these other monsters…"

Leo placed his hand on hers. It was cool and soft. "It was just a dream. You screamed in your sleep, so I imagine it was pretty scary, but it's over now."

"It didn't feel like a dream. I remember everything about it. I even remember the heat from the flames."

"That's probably the fever. But I know how real dreams can seem. I have them all the time." He didn't elaborate.

She was hot, tired, filthy, and scared. The moment Leo had charged off to go after those criminals, everything had gone wrong. Fed up, she finally asked, "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Hint about yourself then say nothing."

"I do not."

"Yes you do. You talk about Fang, you talk about Zoids, you talk about people, but you never talk about _you_." This was exhausting. She needed to say this now, before she passed out again. "Leo, I'm tired, I'm sick, and I admit I'm scared. I'm stuck down here in some buried city where the only other living thing is a guy who I've only known for a little while, and all I can say about him that he's planning to leave my team as soon as he can. You said you'd stay by me and protect me, but how am I supposed to trust you when you won't even tell me about yourself?"

Leo was silent for a long while. He focused at the fountain, not Leena. She could tell her words had hit a nerve. Finally, he said, "The first thing you need to know about me-"

_RRRRAAHHOOOOWWW!_

Something inhuman cried out from the darkness, a sound that didn't belong in a dead city. Leena had heard it once before, in the belly of a Whale King. Even though she couldn't make out its form, she knew the Cannon Fort had found them.

Author's Note: Ah, the classic cliff-hanger. Seems like Leo and Leena have been hot water for a good while. Their Rarehertz/Eveopolis journey ends next chapter, but what will be the consequences of this misadventure? Next chapter will be out soon. Please review and let me know what you think thus far.


	11. Reunited

Battle Dawn

Chapter 11: Reunited

by Silver

Author's Note: Thanks go to ZeroPioneer and ChrsDude for beta reading this chapter. They're the only thing protecting my story from my own lack of spelling and grammar skills.

Thanks also go to all the people who read this story, and those kind enough to leave a review.

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Oh, hell. Why here? Why now? Leo could see the Cannon Fort's eyes shinning within the blackness, scanning left and right for its prey. How had that thing gotten down here? How did it _know_ to look down here? Something about this felt suspicious. Too bad he didn't have time to think about the possibilities.

Leo carried Leena to a nearby building that looked secure enough. Should anything happen, this structure—worn and tired as it was—should endure. He laid her down under the remains of a desk. "Stay here and don't come out unless I call you." He handed her the flashlight. It wouldn't do him any good and it was the only thing that would help settle Leena's mind. Bad enough to hide from a Zoid that was out for your head. Waiting in complete darkness was even worse.

"What are you doing?" She sounded both exhausted and terrified.

"I'm going to stop that Zoid."

"How?"

"It's a Zoid, remember? It's gotta have a cockpit." He got up to leave.

"I'm coming too."

Leo knelt back down and put his hand on her shoulder, making her stop. "Leena, stop acting like you're fine. You're sick, you're tired, you're scared. I'm not much better off, but I have a chance against the Cannon Fort. You need to stay here and rest. If I can get the Cannon Fort to listen to me, we can ride it out of here." He left before she could protest; not an easy feat when he couldn't see in the dark.

He stumbled and tripped his way outside, using his memory to retrace his steps. From there he went it into the next building and up the stairs, placing his hand on the wall as a guide. It was agonizingly slow, but he had a little breathing room. The Cannon Fort was taking its time searching. He needed to move cautiously. No way could he save Leena with a broken neck.

And to think all he'd signed up for was to be a Zoid tech. Reluctantly, at that.

But this situation wasn't any different from the woman in the alley and the gang that had started this whole mess. When someone was in trouble, Leo _had_ to help. He didn't claim any sort of moral superiority or divine cause. It just happened. It was a reflex. Hadn't he met Leena by chasing off those Molga bandits? Given his current predicament, that might have been a mistake. But if I wasn't here, he thought, Leena might be dead. The possibility made his stomach and heart clench.

He continued to stumble through what might have been an office space. The remains of desks and chair cluttered his path while he choked on the ash in the air. His hand felt the edge of shattered glass and he could feel a tiny cut open on his finger. It wasn't a window, and the only other type of glass Leo would expect to find on a wall would be a tele-viewer. Maybe Zoidians enjoyed watching a game while at work just as humans. He grinned at the thought of the oh-so-mysterious Ancient Zoidians gathering around the holy water-cooler to discuss last night's programming. Somehow that gag took the tension out of the situation.

The Cannon Fort's cry fixed that.

It was closer than he'd expected. Damn thing wasn't very methodical. The way it bellowed one would think it was actually calling for Leena. "Oh, Leena. Dear Leena! Come out so I can stomp you!" Leo increased his pace, sacrificing stealth for speed and either batting aside, rolling over, or crashing through obstacles. It was a loud ruckus but the Cannon Fort was too busy making its own noise to hear. He managed to advance to the fifth story; just high enough to see over the Cannon Fort's head. He crouched beneath a shattered window and removed his jacket, placing it over his head and shoulders. Leo had no doubt the Zoid could see clearly in this darkness. If this Vaez guy had ordered this thing custom-built for Leena, he'd have included some infra-red or night-vision sensors. If they got out of this alive, he'd make sure everyone knew to beware of Sen Vaez bearing gifts.

The Cannon Fort was a few heavy steps away, still calling out. Something was _weird_, and the more Leo realized it the more he second-guessed himself. He didn't enjoy using command systems to enslave a Zoid's will, yet here he was about to commit that same crime. He always _asked_ a Zoid to let him pilot it, and they usually allowed him. No permission this time. He'd have to take control of this Zoid or let it continue to hunt his friend and squash him here and now. So why didn't he feel right about all this? He'd learned long ago that no moral or law was absolute. There was always a gray area, and he was in it now. Still…

The Zoid was right under him now. Swallowing any doubt or hesitation, he leaped forward, using his jacket a shield against the shards. He flung the jacket away when he felt the terrible absence of footing and landed atop the Cannon Fort's head. It roared in outrage and began to try to shake him off as a human tossed a bug from its forehead. Leo clung to the rim of the Zoid's eye socket while frantically searching for the external cockpit release. His hand slid over smooth steel with only the occasional welding spot. Where had Vaez put the damn thing?

The Cannon Fort swung its head violently to the side and smashed into the building. Leo managed to jump and roll along the creature's brow and grab on just as the horn decimated the fifth and fourth floors, raining debris on the street. Leo hoped that Leena was still tucked away safely. Perhaps he should have hidden her farther away.

There! His hand slapped against the controls and he welcomed the hiss of the cockpit unsealing. Nice; Vaez had provided Leena with an air-tight seal so she couldn't be gassed inside the Zoid. Given the trouble the Blitz Team seemed to attract, that was pretty thoughtful. He was still planning on giving Vaez a punch to the nose, however.

Leo rolled over the edge and tumbled into the pilot's seat. "Don't mind me." He grabbed the controls. Cannon Fort did mind, and it bucked twice as much as before. Leo couldn't close the hatch. Either the Cannon Fort had somehow found a way to control its smaller systems or Vaez should have paid more attention to the basics instead of bells and whistles.

Should have paid for better controls too. They weren't working. Leo tried the emergency shutoff switch, hoping that "rebooting" the Zoid would bring the Command System online. He was still trying to ignore this feeling of unease with his actions. The Zoid would not fall silent. It bucked and thrashed, bouncing Leo in his seat and nearly sending his head through the monitor… that was showing a little girl who looked hauntingly like Leena.

Now Leo could hear the audio coming in over the comm. speaker. "What's this button, Daddy?" The little girl, who had short red hair and bright violet eyes, was sitting on the lap of a younger Steve Toros. He was grinning happily, eager to show his daughter every ratchet and bolt on the Zoid.

"That's the cannon trigger, honey, but don't-" Why wasn't Leo surprised when she pressed it? He could hear the cannons thunder almost as loud as the Cannon Fort's bellow, though it was thrashing less since the monitor started up. Something collapsed off-screen, but Leena was laughing like she'd just finished her first roller coaster ride. Her father's reaction matched the analogy.

"Leena! That was… was…"

Young Leena giggled. "That was really fun. I like this button!"

The screen flickered for a moment, and now Leena was sitting in the cockpit alone. She was about thirteen years old and dressed as a… tomboy? Jeans, sweat shirt, and she was reading some kind of teen magazine. Her father called from off-camera. "Leena, where are you? Did you finish your homework?" Those words sounded very alien, coming from the model-building Doc.

Teen Leena rolled her eyes and muttered something about her father getting lost, and buried her nose deeper in the magazine. The cockpit hatch opened and Dr. Toros' shadow fell over Leena. "You really need to find a better hiding place, dear. Have you finished your homework?"

"No." She looked more intently at the magazine. Her father reached in and snatched it away.

"Leena, your grades are slipping. You need to focus more."

"Dad, I'm going to be a Zoid Warrior, I don't _need_ to know about math and history."

"Oh? So you won't need to learn how to calculate a firing angle? And you won't learn a few tricks from people like Van Flyheight the Hero?"

"This Flyheight guy's way too old to teach _me_ anything. He's long dead, right? And as for firing a gun." She reached for that button again. Her father stopped her this time.

"My model kits are on the other side of the wall. Do you really want to tempt fate?" Teen Leena wisely withdrew her hand. Her father sighed, the kind of frustrated "what am I going to do with you?" exhale that Leo had seen fathers use with their teen daughters. "Leena, you don't know what your future is going to hold. I want you to have options in case being a Zoid warrior doesn't work out."

"Oh, it'll work out." Leena said with complete certainty. "I know it will."

The screen flickered again, and the Cannon Fort was struggling even less now. Leo had stopped testing the control panels in favor of watching the flashbacks. Something in his gut told him to pay attention. A lot of what had been happening tonight was suddenly starting to make sense.

Now he was seeing Leena, only a year or so ago. She was dressed in her usual combat outfit, typing in commands and going through a weapons check-list. Leon called from off-screen. "All set?"

Leena hollered back. "Yeah, just a need to finish installing the Z-Gear." If Leena hadn't installed the Zoid Gear computer yet, then this had to be her first official battle. Leo was impressed that she'd been so confident about becoming a warrior at thirteen years old. Flash forward about six years and now she was fulfilling that dream. Leo hadn't met many women who were that sure of their futures. Most of them held on to a dream for about two minutes, then got another. Leena really held on.

Her father leaned over the cockpit hatch. "Ready for your first battle?"

Leena grinned up at her father. "I've been ready for ten years. I'm finally going to show the world its next star!"

"Star?" Doc sounded confused.

Leena's grin widened. "Yeah, Dad. Didn't I tell you?"

"No…"

"This is just my first step to becoming a super-star. Once people see how great a Zoids warrior I am, I'll break in to the modeling business and before you know it I'll be the most recognized face on Zi!"

Doc's jaw dropped. "Where did this come from?"

Leena rolled her eyes. "I've had this plan since I was eleven, Dad."

"You never mentioned it to me."

Her smile held a hint of deviousness. "That's because I knew you'd try to change my mind and make me read all those math and history books."

Her father gave that classic sigh. "And your grades were only so-so."

"There's more to life than grades, Dad. I know what I want. I don't need to be a math wiz or historian to achieve my dream."

Her father nodded, conceding defeat. "Okay, but please try to at least use a little math out there and _aim_ your cannons. You're not a super-star yet and we're not made of money. Those shells cost a lot." Leo knew, even though the screen flickered off, that Leena hadn't bothered to aim. The Cannon Fort was no longer resisting, but it wasn't following the control commands either. Leo slowly typed in a diagnostic. He could feel the Cannon Fort tense with every push of the button, as if expecting some sort of sabotage.

Command System Deleted

The words flashed in red, killing any plans Leo could conceive. Without a Command System, a Zoid only followed commands it chose to accept. Given the current situation, Leo doubted asking "pretty please?" would help. "Okay… so what do we do now? You know Leena, but I- Ahhhh!" The Zoid pitched forward suddenly, tucking its head as low as it could and finally tossing Leo out of the cockpit. He bounced off the Zoid's snout and onto the ground. He'd once heard that Zi's gravity was slightly less than that of the human home world, Earth. With their stronger bone structure, humans could jump farther and survive slightly higher falls than Zoidians. That small fact saved Leo from splattering on the pavement.

Though a moment later he wasn't sure his survival was a good thing. The Cannon Fort bellowed and towered over him, its red eyes painting his whole body in a bloody hue. Leo law sprawled on the ground, completely helpless. So much for his grand plan. This felt like an odd case of poetic justice. Leo, upholder of Zoids' rights, tried to control a rogue Zoid and was squished for his hypocrisy. Lame tombstone.

The Cannon Fort loomed closer. Maybe it'd crunch Leo's head between its massive steel teeth, or smother him with its snout. Leo knew he couldn't outrun a Zoid in the dark with no escape route planned. He'd only end up leading it to Leena. Why was this Zoid so obsessed with her? The more he saw this Zoid the less it seemed to be out for blood. It leaned even closer. Leo closed his eyes and waited for what he hoped would be a painless end.

"STOP!" A woman's voice came from the dark. He looked up and could see Leena, her pale skin cast almost completely pink by the Cannon Fort's lights. She was leaning against the building with on arm, waving the flashlight with the other. What the hell was she doing there?

The Cannon Fort lost all interest in Leo and marched straight for Leena. Leena stumbled back as it approached but lacked the strength to run. Leo was on his feet and sprinting for her but knew he wouldn't make it in time. Leena stumbled on a pile of rubble and fell back, crying out and throwing her arms up in a feeble defense as the Cannon Fort lowered its head and… nuzzled her.

Both Leo and Leena paused and looked at the giant Zoid awkwardly while it made a strange, almost purring sound and watched Leena. Leo came to her side and helped her up. "What are you _doing _here? I told you to stay hidden!"

"And let you face all the danger?" She huffed. "No way. I told you I don't need your protection. Besides, you'd be dead right now if I hadn't come."

Leo glanced up at the Cannon Fort, which was now eyeing him warily. "I might still end up dying. I think the Cannon Fort considers me a threat."

"Well, you did try to pilot it."

"Not a threat to him. He thinks I'm a threat to you." Leo could tell by the Cannon Fort's growl that he'd guessed right.

"Me?" Leena was understandably confused. "What's it want with me?"

Leo shrugged. "I don't know, but I've been misreading this Zoid. Back at the base, I thought he was attacking you, but the truth was he was trying to take down the base defenders, who were firing your way and could have hurt you. When I grabbed you in Sentinel and started running, odds are Cannon Fort here thought I was kidnapping you. He must have missed on purpose to avoid hurting you."

Leena looked from Leo to the Cannon Fort. "So, why's it so interested in me? And how'd it get down here?"

Leo replied, "I don't have a clue how it got down here, though it could be our ticket out of here. As for why it's trying to protect you, maybe you should ask Vaez. He made it, right?"

Leena frowned and was silent for a while. "Sen said that he'd designed the Cannon Fort using the core of a fallen Zoid. Di-something."

"Di… Bison?"

Leena's eyes grew wide. "Dibison? _My_ Dibison?"

"Could be. When I was in the cockpit, I saw some images of you when you were much younger. How long did you have the Dibison?"

"My Dad bought it a long time ago, when I was…"

"A little girl? You had that Zoid almost your whole life and you _sold_ it?" The Cannon Fort moaned when he mentioned the word "sold."

Leena was defensive again. "I told you, the Dibison was all but scrapped! There wasn't anything we could do for it."

"Looks like Vaez did something with it. Your Dibison became the Cannon Fort."

"So you're telling me we've spent this whole night running away from a Zoid that was trying to say hello?"

"_You _were running from a Zoid that missed you. _I _was running from a Zoid that wanted to shoot me because he thought I was a threat to you."

"If it wanted to say 'hi,' then why did it lunge at me back at the base?"

Leo grinned. "It's your Zoid. Must have inherited your lack of subtlety."

"Why you!" Leo thought Leena might actually muster the strength to punch him. Who knew how the Cannon Fort would react to that.

But before anything could happen, twin bolts of fire shot from the darkness and struck the Cannon Fort. The Zoid cried out and toppled into the building. Leo grabbed Leena and pulled her away from the falling debris. They stumbled to the ground.

"What was that?" Leena demanded.

"I think there's another Zoid down here."

"Oh, great. Another monster Zoid trying to kill us." But then Leena spied their attacker. "It's Oriudos! It's Sen!"

Leo frowned and watched as another blast lanced out and struck the downed Cannon Fort. He could vaguely see a horse silhouette outlined by the bloody glare. He'd heard of a few rare Zoids produced with such a frame, but he'd never seen one before. Leena obviously had. "Great, so your boyfriend's trying to kill us."

"Oh, Leo, he's not my boyfriend… yet."

"Will you be serious?!" Another blast. Now the Cannon Fort was standing up and reorienting itself. The blasts had dealt damage but not nearly enough to hinder the armored bison.

Leena tried to stand. "Help me get to the Cannon Fort."

"Why?"

"Sen can't see us in this darkness, and we can't call him inside Oriudos. If I can use the Cannon Fort's communicator, we can get him to stop shooting."

"He's aiming _at_ the Cannon Fort! You'll be killed!" An explosion punctuated Leo's argument.

Leena was leaning on him already, using him as a springboard if he wouldn't help her over willingly. "In case you haven't noticed, Cannon Fort's protecting us." Indeed the large Zoid had moved in front of Leena and was absorbing all shots that could hurt her. Realizing that Leena would go through with this plan with or without his help, Leo slung her arm over his shoulder and helped her walk towards the Zoid, which now lowered itself and opened the hatch on its forehead. Leena sunk into the chair as if she'd melt on the spot. When Leo tried to follow, the Cannon Fort shook him off and he fell on his back. It was painful to be rejected by a Zoid, but given that he'd tried to control the Cannon Fort uninvited, the act was understandable. Leo ran for the nearest solid structure and hoped Leena knew what she was doing.

She didn't have a clue what to do. Sen's attacks hadn't damaged the Cannon Fort's performance, but the sensors _and_ the communication array were all offline. She couldn't see him, and she couldn't talk to him. Odds were he'd keep blasting until the Cannon Fort went down.

He was a great pilot; but then, the ZBC Chairman would have to be. No sooner had the Cannon Fort finished shaking from one blast then a second came from a completely different direction. Sen was using the terrain and the darkness to cover his movements, making truly random firings that kept Leena off-balance. The only way to end this was to shoot Sen down and apologize later, but how could she hit him?

She couldn't even see him now. The external camera was still working but she could only make out a few nearby buildings. It was pitch black out there. Leena wanted to slam her fists against the steel cockpit and scream "Stop shooting us!" but she didn't have the strength for something like that. She'd never felt this tired or ill before and the idea she might be dying snickered at the back of her mind. But she wouldn't accept that. She had too many plans to die now. She'd make it out of this, even if she had to level the entire city to get out!

Except that might kill Leo in the process and that would be a bad thing. He'd looked out for her this whole time, never even hinting that he might bolt or give in. Leena remembered how she'd treated him during that first training session, and how he'd saved her life during the Diloforce attack. She needed to give Leo more credit. Maybe he was planning on leaving the team, but he wasn't the kind of guy who abandoned someone in need. Who knew? Maybe he'd stay with the Blitz Team longer than even he planned.

Neither of them would know if it ended here. Leena scanned the monitor for some hint of Oriudos. She couldn't see anything but-THERE! There, in an inconspicuous patch of night, she knew it was there! She couldn't see the Zoid and she had no reason to believe it would be waiting in that spot, but she was so completely certain that any doubts became insignificant. Leena squeezed the medium laser cannon trigger and fired several rounds. The first two struck Oriudos' head as it emerged from behind a skyscraper. The Zoid's speed carried it forward even as it fell to the side, slamming into a building. The next two bolts struck the body and the Oriudos went limp. Leena grinned, for that was all she could muster with her strength.

The Cannon Fort bellowed and charged forward. "Wait, stop!" The Zoid obeyed her cry. "We don't want to hurt that pilot. Let's just go over there and talk to him." To her amazement, the Zoid moved on its own accord, allowing Leena the chance to slump in her seat and relax.

How had she made that shot? There'd been no hint of Oriudos in that direction, no alerts, no target locks, not even a sound. Yet she'd hit a high-speed Zoid as it was moving, as if she knew exactly where it would emerge. She was too tired to think about it, but the question would plague her for some time.

Inconceivable. How had the Cannon Fort managed to strike him? That was no random shot, but the Zoid could not have used its sensors. He'd been sure to disable them with his first barrage. Vaez punched the controls, but the Oriudos would not obey. Useless Zoid! The only thing the pile of garbage could facilitate was opening the cockpit hatch. So Vaez exited, to defiantly stare back at the rampant Zoid that had bested him. He would not flee, for such an action was beneath him. Rather, he would charge the Zoid, and either take control of it himself or end his legacy here. The script called for his survival, and so the latter option simply would not happen. He was sure of it.

Red light from shinning eyes played over the Oriudos wreckage. The Cannon Fort came close enough that Vaez was sure the beast would not shoot him dead. No, the creature wanted to stomp him under hoof. Foolish machine. Vaez had trained hard every day so that his body would be up to such challenges. He would survive and control this Zoid, even if it tried to flatten him with its entire body.

"Sen, are you okay?" A familiar, angelic voice came from the Zoid's loudspeakers. The Zoid's forehead popped up to reveal a very pale and exhausted looking Leena Toros.

"Leena? What are you doing in the Cannon Fort?"

She managed a smile. "It's a long story. Are you okay?"

He smiled and bowed, "I believe my ego is wounded, but otherwise I am fine. I am at a loss as to how you managed to shoot me."

"I'm not entirely sure of that myself. But I'm glad you're okay. How did you get down here?"

"I followed the Cannon Fort in the hopes of rescuing you. It found a path leading to this city. I merely followed. In truth, I should be the one asking if you are all right. You look very tired."

Leena looked even wearier by his mention. "I've been sick every since we fell down here. I want to leave. You said there was a path out of here, can you take us there?"

Vaez nodded. "It would be my pleasure. I will need a moment to bring Oriudos up to speed, and then I shall escort you out."

"I'll fix the Zoid." 12515 crawled up the Oriudos' leg and began examining the damaged sections with his flashlight. "Tonight's been a lot of fun, thanks for that great gift." His sarcasm was almost as appalling as his audacity in touching Vaez's property.

"Leo, when did you get here?" Leena sounded just as upset by the trash's bravado.

"I followed the Cannon Fort after the shooting stopped. You weren't planning on leaving me behind in the dark, where you?" The insolence. Leena Toros argued admirably despite her weariness, but Vaez was concerned that 12515 (or Leo, as he had christened himself) was too familiar with his superior. Perhaps Oriudos was not the only possession that this reject felt entitled to touch.

Despite his attitude, 12515's technical skills were impressive. According to the files, that was his only remarkable aspect. A secret BD project, and the only solid result was a mechanic. How pitiful.

With Oriudos revived and the Cannon Fort now serving as Leena Toros' body guard, Vaez led the troop back to the tunnel from whence he'd entered. Vaez was still taken aback by the Cannon Fort's actions. To think that the Zoid had been trying to reunite with its master this whole time. Yet again he suspected Zoid Eve's hand in this adventure. Given Leena Toros' physical state, he wondered if this had all been an elaborate plan to awaken her. Perhaps Eve was supporting his plans; or maybe the mother of all Zoids had her own agenda. Either way, she would serve his destiny.

Leena's health improved almost immediately after they exited Eveopolis. The colored returned to her face, and her strength began to recover. She asked that the troop stop before continuing to the base and exited the Cannon Fort. "Since the base troops think the Cannon Fort's a rampaging Zoid, they'll probably shoot at her the minute we're in sight. I think the Cannon Fort should go somewhere else for now." The Zoid in question bellowed furiously. Leena responded as if she understood its tantrum. "I'm not abandoning you again. I just think you need to be somewhere safer. We can meet up again later." Leena did not realize she was suddenly treating this Zoid like a person. Vaez found it charmingly naïve.

With some extra persuasion, the Cannon Fort set off in the opposite direction, vanishing into the Valley of the Rarehertz. That left them with only one Zoid to serve as transport. Leena Toros solved that problem by sitting in Vaez's lap for the rest of the trip, a rather pleasant setup in Vaez's eyes. He would have made 12515 walk if so inclined, but he humored Leena's idea for the commoner to ride on Oriudos' back. The scowl on the man's face was all the more satisfying. You may have played protector tonight, reject, but I am destined to wed Leena Toros. She is completely beyond you.

Their return to the base was welcomed with cheers and the release of breathes held since Vaez's departure. He knew how he looked in their eyes, a leader returning with his princess in tow. While he didn't technically do the rescuing, he would allow this misinterpretation. It served him well. He could also stomach being shot down if it was Leena Toros who aimed the shot. After all, should not a queen's skills surpass all others? But Leena would have to remember who would be king and lord. He would allow her this triumph, but when the time came to ascend the throne together, she would know who led and who supported.

At Vaez's command, medics tended to Leena, ensuring she had recovered from whatever ailed her in Eveopolis. 12515 spent the time back in a cell for assaulting an officer, but at Leena's request Vaez dropped the charges and sent a team to retrieve the Godos 12515 had stolen. Vaez was more intrigued about examining the second, rampaging Godos that had attacked Leena and her straggler, as well as the two Guysacks that had dug the tunnel. The Rarehertz was Zoid Eve's weapon. He wanted to understand how it worked so that he might control that power as well. But first he needed to speak with Leena. This night had not gone as planned, which angered him greatly. He needed to salvage whatever he could to ensure everything else played out properly.

"How do you feel?" He asked as he sat by her medical bed. All manner of computers and displays beeped out her vitalities. None of it made sense, but Vaez was pleased to see the color had returned to her face and she was stronger. Remarkable recovery time.

Leena smiled at him. "I'm feeling a lot better now. Thanks."

"It was I who placed you in danger with my gift. I swear that most of my presents don't try to kill the recipient."

She laughed. "The Cannon Fort wasn't trying to kill me, really. She was just really 'eager' to see me."

"_She_?"

"The Cannon Fort." Leena giggled. "Listen to me; I'm starting to talk about Zoids like they're people. I've been around Leo too long." Indeed.

Vaez took her hand. "Leena, is there any way I can apologize for the trouble I have caused you? Is there something I can do to aid you or your team?" Even with his recent actions, he knew he would have to play to Leena's desires to win her over.

Leena thought for a moment. "Well… my team is in a real bind. We were supposed to buy ammo and supplies tonight, but all the shops were sold out and then we got arrested on false charges and got chased by-"

"I can certainly help with that." Vaez smiled. His bid to purchase all the ammunition in the city had given birth to this opportunity. There was no script change for which he could not compensate. "I will have the supplies taken from this very base and rushed to your base. They'll be ready in time for your departure."

"Speaking of which," 12515 stood in the doorway. "We should be going. Doc and Jamie are probably having a fit since we haven't bothered to call."

Leena nodded. "Yeah, we should go before Jamie bursts a vein." She looked at Vaez. "I'm very glad I got the chance to meet you."

"Does this mean I could see you again?"

"Well, of course, but we'll be on the road the whole season and-"

"Leena, there is nowhere on Zi you could go that I would not find a way to be with you. I promise you will hear from me soon." Leena Toros exited the medical ward, her face almost pure red. 12515's eyes looked as though they'd roll into the back of his head and become lost. How had that garbage found his way to the future Queen of Zi? He'd best not get any ideas if he wanted to see the new age.

"Sir," the base medic approached him, flipping nervously through a medical report. "We just completed some analysis of Ms. Toros' condition. Has she left? I didn't clear her-"

"She has already left by my authorization. I will take responsibility. Tell me your findings."

"Yes, sir. Given the sudden fever and nausea, we at first suspected some form of disease, but a closer examination of blood and tissue samples revealed that Ms. Toros' immune system was attempting to suppress changes within her body. Many of her white cells were consuming cells all over her body, but the… 'reaction' was spreading too rapidly."

Vaez feigned ignorance. "A disease?"

"No sir. This is a very rare occurrence, but it is documented among several hybrid-" Vaez held up a hand to silence the doctor. Such information should not be spoken publicly.

"Doctor, tell no one of this. It is a private matter for Ms. Toros and I will approach her about your discovery when the time is right. Please give me your documents." The Doctor handed them over diligently, but not without some resentment. Understandable. Vaez had insulted him after all. A shame this man would not live long enough to understand the reason for Vaez's actions.

The Doctor left after assuring Vaez he had not had time to enter his findings into the medical network. As soon as the door slid shut, Vaez turned to a shadowed corner. "See to it that no one finds the body. The Doctor has no family, so it should be easy to explain his disappearance. Once he is gone, check his computer for any signs of data entry. I do not trust his word."

A voice came from the black. "Yes, sire." Vaez never knew how the agent had entered or left the room. He had trained them to be loyal, but his Grandfather had arranged covert operations training. Even though they'd had differing methods, both men worked towards one destiny. Vaez had simply chosen the better way.

Celica came early because she knew the Colonel would be on-time. Men like Paris couldn't stand being more than a minute late to a meeting, even a secret one. She'd encountered many military personas in her time with the Helic army and ZBC. Paris was the kind that put a metal rod up private areas as a recruit and let it rust there over time. She'd learned that much from their first meeting. While he wasn't as obsessive about regulations as others, he was definitely a slave to rules rather than a follower. Followers willfully obeyed, but could still choose for themselves. It was hard to believe that someone as strict as Paris would even consider taking part in a shadowy operation such as this.

Sitting alone in her car, with nothing better than a mostly empty parking lot to look at, Celica turned on her radio. News of the successful raid on the Backdraft HQ had given way to speculation about the new season. Important news often took a back seat to the audience's distractions. Celica still couldn't figure out how Vaez had learned about that base and managed to corner Count Umbra, the very head of the Backdraft! The few successful hackings Celica conducted hadn't produced any suspicious information, and the investigation teams hadn't turned up anything dubious. Celica had analyzed the files herself and found nothing to imply that Vaez had killed either the Count or the assistant.

But that didn't prove Vaez was totally innocent. No one found a base of that importance so quickly. Usually, several other less-important bases had to fall first, and a secret base's location could only be discovered if the raiding teams secured the computers before any information was purged. Such speed and certainty suggested that Vaez had other sources of information.

Since she had no leads on this information source, Celica put it out of her mind. Worrying about things that couldn't be helped only led to heart problems and gray hair. Instead she focused on speculations for Class S, the cream of the Zoids Battles. Most experts anticipated the Blitz Team making a clean-sweep with their Ultimate X Liger Zero. Many critics cried fowl, stating that an AI Zoid was an unfair and possibly illegal advantage for the Blitz Team. No one was taking these claims seriously for now since Bit Cloud was hailed as the hero who toppled the Backdraft.

Celica didn't buy that rhetoric since the Backdraft was still a very strong threat. The news could say it was over, the rulers of Helic and Guylos could say it was over, Sen Vaez definitely wanted people to think it was over, but Celica Lucraft knew that there would be more combat and perhaps tragedies ahead. Soon leaders would be trying to use fear as a means of gaining public support, furthering their private agendas in the process. She hoped that Bit Cloud would continue to be in the wrong place at the right time when that happened.

It had been a show of trust to let Richard Paris know about her affections for Bit Cloud. What had the psych team called it? A "preoccupied infatuation." They made it sound like a school-girl crush.

Celica had no doubt that Bit had many female admirers. Every top-ranked male Zoids pilot had a fan club somewhere. It was that whole "Alpha Male" mentality. Many women were drawn to men in power, men who stood above all others. That was why jocks and brooding, mysterious loners enjoyed such a following in schools. Despite advances in equal rights, many women still saw men in the provider role and assumed that the physically strongest or mysteriously intriguing men would be the best men to settle down with.

But the truth was harsher. Often, the physically strongest men showed their strength by hitting their wives and the mysterious loner type often treated his girlfriend or wife with the same disdain that they showed for all others. In the end, a lot of women ended up wishing they'd been more impressed by a person's kindness than their guff. That was why Celica had dated the outcast groups in High School and College. They were usually a better choice in the long run, though she'd never found the right match.

She didn't admire Bit Cloud because he was top dog. Yes, he was handsome, and yes he was an excellent pilot; but what she admired most was that he shared his strength and helped others. She'd investigated his history, along with dozens of other Zoids Warriors. She never knew when she might need their help when her options within the military exhausted.

While all Warriors were romanticized about possessing a sense of justice, few acted on that premise. Not many Warriors would volunteer to fight the Backdraft, or break up the Sand Stingray Gang. Bit cloud was strong and beautiful, and that beauty came from offering his strength to others rather than hording it to gain fame. She found that so endearing. Maybe someday she'd find a way to meet this young knight.

A car rounded the corner with its lights on and pulled into the spot right next to her. Amazing how a Colonel under her Uncle's tutorship could be such an amateur. He even tried to salute her when they exited their cars!

"Don't." He halted more from shock than her actual order. She knew the idea of a "subordinate" addressing her "commander" in such a tone was foreign to him. "We're supposed to be two civilians here, not military personnel." She indicated for him to open the back door of his car. She sat down and moved aside, motioning him to follow. The man was totally out of his element and sat down numbly next to her, then nearly jumped out again as she leaned over and pulled him close.

"Lieutenant!"

"Try to look like you're enjoying this." She pressed her face close to his. His discomfort was actually making this fun.

"What are you doing?!"

"Trying to make this look like it's anything but a secret meeting between two military officers."  
"It _does_ look like a secret meeting. And while you probably wouldn't be recognized, anyone who's read a paper or watched the news might recognize my face and-"

"And you'd look like ZBC Colonel who lost the bid for the Chairman's position and went to smother his sorrows in the arms of a woman who's at least half your age."

"Yes!"

"So you'd be implicated in a scandal?"

"Yes!"

"And no one would suspect you're actually talking about Sen Vaez's trip to the Rarehertz base, or trying to figure out his next move?"

"I suppose not…"

She smiled. He was so uncomfortable with a beautiful woman in his arms. She hoped the military would be enough companionship for him. "Believe me, sir, many military men have been implicated in such scandals and although it was a definite pot-hole in their lives, it was not the end. Being caught for conspiring against the ZBC Chairman, however…"

The Colonel nodded. "I see your point. Does this mean I have to kiss you?"

_Have_ to kiss her? Unbelievable. Celica knew she was beautiful, it was a tool she'd crafted to aid her in slipping under a Commander's radar. Somehow, men often thought that beauty and brains were mutually exclusive. She'd made sure to always be up to date in fashion and kept her figure trim. The notion that the Colonel saw this as a chore made her laugh.

"Something funny, Lieutenant?"

"No sir. This situation is just a little silly. But in answer to your question, no, you do not have to kiss me." Celica could use her beauty when needed, but she would only go so far.

She reached into her pocket and slipped a data disk into his coat. "This is a record of promotions and communiqués between Vaez, his staff, and some new recruits and promotions. Don't access it on any computer linked to the network. Use a private device."

Paris nodded, a bit more comfortable now that they were talking business. "What can you tell me ahead of time?"

"Vaez has been busy. I've never seen such a large-scale promotions campaign." Both of them knew that a newly-chosen ZBC Chairman rewarded his friends and allies with promotions and reassignments, but no one in Celica's memory had changed the face of the ZBC staff as suddenly as Vaez. It was not a pretty face either. Most of the men in question had shady backgrounds or were considered security risks.

The art of Vaez's scheme was that all of these men were placed in positions that were relatively insignificant, but placed them in a prime location to take part in secret dealings between Guylos, Helic, and the ZBC. Odds were no one would object. If anything, the higher-ups would be more concerned with some of the men Vaez had placed in positions of leadership. Many of them weren't up to the challenge.

"Anything incriminating?" asked Paris.

"No sir. Vaez is very careful about where he places information. While he's definitely making drastic changes to the ZBC structure, there's nothing in here that suggests anything more than a less-than-honorable time in the service, and he's not the first ZBC Chairman to possess such a record."

Paris nodded, disappointed. "Did you check on his plans for the archeology division?"

As if she'd miss something so obvious. Vaez had declared to the whole of Zi on international tele-viewer that he'd search for Zoid Eve's secrets. She knew Paris was aware of her skills, and maybe even respected them, but he couldn't shake off the requirement that he be the one issuing the orders.

"Again, nothing out of the ordinary. He has a list of potential sites and a revised budget he'll probably propose tomorrow. We can't prove anything with this."

Paris sighed. "Odds are we won't be able to prove anything until Vaez makes his move."

"If he is going to make a move at all." Paris' gaze tried to silence Celica's doubt, but her mother was the only person who could silence her with a look. "We haven't seen anything that suggests he really is plotting a take-over."

"You haven't worked with him. I am certain. We need to expose him before the damage is done." Unlikely. If Vaez was plotting world domination (a truly cliché idea), he wouldn't leave information where any hacker could find it. He'd have been found out long ago otherwise.

The Colonel said, "How soon can you infiltrate the archeology division?"

Celica frowned, "You want me to keep tabs on dig sites? What about the secret projects?"

Paris shook his head just slightly. Now that they were into the main topic, he didn't seem to care that he was sitting in the back of his car with a young woman. "We can't keep track of every secret deal going on between the Super Powers. I'll monitor as best I can, but the real prize is Zoid Eve. We need to make sure Vaez does not obtain that power. How soon can you be ready?"

"One week." Celica already knew Ancient Zoidian, so it would easy to hack herself in as a translator. She could work out archeology as she went along, hopefully.

Their meeting concluded and Celica had to halt Paris from saluting yet again. He drove off, a little too hastily. She wondered if she'd scared him off and giggled. Colonel Paris was not a bad man. If anything, she could admire his conviction in taking a task so far out of his element. But that was a weakness as well. He might not be able to adapt to this situation. If he slipped up just once, he could endanger both Celica and himself. She'd have to speak to her Uncle about this once she found out where that Storm Sworder escorted him.

They both wanted to protect Zi and the Zoids, but they came from two different worlds. Paris could dress like a civilian and fake an illicit rendezvous, but he was at home in a uniform and following proper conduct codes. Celica could enter a military complex just like a shadow could find a place in a brightly-lit room, but she imagined she'd be just as out of place as Paris if she tried to follow the life he'd chosen. They'd make it work, but Celica doubted they'd be friends.

She leaned against her car, weary from too many hours on a computer and a frustrating meeting. At least she couldn't complain about a boring life. The sun would be rising soon, flooding the city with golden light. She decided to stay and watch the sunrise before getting some sleep. Natural beauty could easily be forgotten in times like this. She didn't want to lose touch with what she fought for. Legends told of battlefields where the smoke hid the sky for a full week. She never wanted to see such a place.

It wasn't all in her hands, though. She could try to anticipate Vaez's movements, thwart any plans that might actually exist, maybe even frame him if she truly believed it would be for the greater good. Yet that was only half the battle. Trouble crept on the horizon, waiting to spill over and submerge the peace everyone took for granted. Bandits, the Backdraft, and secret ops from the Super Powers all threatened to tear the world apart. She took some comfort in that Zoid Warriors like Bit Cloud might be able to divert that torrent.

Let's keep working for the same future, Bit Cloud. Even if I never get the chance to thank you personally.

The sun was already peeking over the sand dunes by the time Leena and Leo returned to the Blitz Team's base. Sen had been nice enough to send some staff to retrieve their jeep, but they'd ridden most of the way to Blitz Team HQ in his Whale King. She'd asked to be set down far enough away that the Whale King's engines wouldn't wake her team and drove the rest of the way. Sen hadn't let her go until she promised to see him again soon. Not that she needed any convincing.

Jamie and Leena's father were in the meeting room, piles of paperwork and empty plates stacked around their sleeping bodies. Leena stepped in to tell her father they were back while Leo opted to go get some sleep before renewing work on the Liger Zero Conversion System.

Leena shook her father's shoulder. "Hey, Dad, I'm back."

"Leena?" Her father rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Where on Zi have you been? You were gone all day! I was worried sick!" It was so rare to hear this speech from her normally juvenile father. Leena escorted him down the hallway, explaining most of the days events as best she could. She chose to leave out stories about her time in Eveopolis. Those weren't happy memories.

While recalling the day's events, she tried to decide if this had been a good day or a bad day.

She'd gotten to go shopping. Good.

Leo had dragged her out of a store. Bad.

She'd gotten to know Leo just slightly better. Good, maybe.

They'd been arrested. Very bad.

She'd met Sen Vaez. A powerful and famous Chairman that was absolutely in love with her. _Very_ good.

Sen gave her a Zoid as a greeting gift. Good until…

The Zoid chased her through the Valley of the Rarehertz. Unbelievably bad.

She fell underground, was attacked by a rampaging Zoid, and became so sick she thought she'd die. Miserable.

Leo had protected her and stayed by her side, even though she maintained she didn't need a guardian… Undecided.

Sen had found her and brought her back. Excellent.

The look on her father's face when he saw the five supply trailers filled with goods and munitions (a less risky gift from Sen) made the day complete and _good_.

Sen…

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Author's Note: Ah, good to be done with the Valley of the Rarehertz for now. Seriously, that lasted longer than I anticipated.

No promises when the next chapter will come out. After a year of searching, I've found employment with a local television station. This is great news, but it means that I won't have as much time to work on my chapters. I'll probably be even _later_ than usual posting chapters. But I am committed to finishing this story, and reviews always help encourage me (wink wink). Thanks for reading!


	12. Differences

Battle Dawn

Chapter Twelve: Differences

by Silver

Author's Note: Whew. This chapter took a while. It feels a little weird not having to write about the Valley of the Rarehertz anymore.

This chapter touches base with some characters we haven't seen in a bit. Think of it as a transition into the next phase.

Thanks to ChirsDude and ZeroPioneer for proofreading my stories. You'd all be lost in spelling and grammatical errors if not for them. I also thank everyone who has read this very long story and has been kind enough to leave a review. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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It was business as usual for the Backdraft. Deals, threats, and the occasional surprise.

The deal came over a video conference. Altiel smiled at the man on the screen, portrayed several times larger than in real life. Such an act was necessary in rebuilding a relationship. Allowing the enlarged image made the sender think he was all the more important. Yet even at that size his head could not contain his ego.

"Greetings, Mr. Champ, or may I call you Bernard?" Bernard Champ was a tall, muscular man, though his excessive lifestyle had added a fair deal of girth to his body. His brown hair was slicked back and his moustache was trimmed to a laser-fine point. Those eyes shared the same glint of greed that Altiel saw in a mirror. He recognized that they both shared the same ambitious streak, though that wasn't necessarily an opportunity for friendship. Bernard Champ stressed his lineage by dressing in a "cowboy" style suite, including a hat fashioned with an over-sized rim. The Champs were one of the few families that could trace its lineage back to Earth, somewhere in the western part of a country called "America." Bernard even practiced a fake accent to remind anyone who spoke to him that he was "pure-bred" Earthling. Such knowledge was truly meaningless to the common people of Zi, but for the world's elite it was a sign of prestige and money, for only the rich could trace their lines back that far.

"My friends call my Barry. You can call me Mr. Champ f'r now."

"Oh, come now. Hasn't the Backdraft always been your ally and you ours? Why, it was our team that honored your request, challenged your son, and took all his Zoids."

"Fer all the good it did." Bernard leaned back and Altiel could see the edges of what looked like a very plush arm chair. "Kid's still playin' Zoid Pilot, even managed to hook his sister." He muttered, "I never should have sent Mary to bring the boy home. 'Never send a girl' and all that."

Altiel cleared his throat. "Even so, Mr. Champ, the Backdraft crippled his forces and returned the Zoids to you. I would call that a gift of friendship, given the vast number of units we ended up returning."

Bernard's attention returned. "And what kind of gesture where you makin' when your Genosaurers nearly roasted my son like a pig on a skewer?"

Altiel didn't let his smile waver. "That was purely unintentional. We were aiming for the Blitz Team and your son happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I understand he threw himself in harms way."

More muttering. "Riskin' his life for some trashy little girl… idiot… need to bring that boy home and…" The rest became inaudible. It was aggravating to be ignored like this, but Altiel let the man distract himself with personal issues. The truth behind the Genosaurer attack on the Berserk Fury would only make the Backdraft appear divided. In this time of weakness, when most supporters had severed all ties to BD, it was vital that Altiel regain the backing of the Champ Corporation. They were the largest arms manufacturer on Zi, as well as the source for all AI robots, including the ZBC Judges. Bernard Champ owed that resource to his wife, Rachel Schubaltz-Champ. The combined wealth of the Champ Corporation and Schubaltz Industries overshadowed any other company on Zi. Backdraft needed that funding, so Altiel would have to be patient until Bernard's attention returned.

"Why are you calling me, Altiel? Shouldn't you be hidin' under a rock next to the other snakes? Word is that Backdraft's finished now that its Old Man is six-feet-under." It was suddenly harder to contain the fury.

"I can assure you, Mr. Champ, that the Backdraft Organization is far from finished. Count Umbra was a great leader, but his death does not spell the end for us. Backdraft will rise again, stronger than ever. We're making plans to remind the ZBC that we are not defeated."

"And where do I factor into these plans of yours? I'm not plannin' on joinin'; seein' as how you've nearly killed my son and cost me a lot of money on your battles."

Amazing how one could contain his rage when money was the proper motivation. "As I said, your son threw himself into the fray. It was unavoidable. As for the lost money, that is the inherent risk in gambling. I believe it was you who bet against the Blitz Team several times. But surely those loses were but a drop in a very deep bucket for the Champ Corporation."

"It's the principal! Your so-called 'Warriors' couldn't beat some snot-nosed kid and his dress-changing Liger! Now you expect me to back you when you're down and out?"

"That won't be an issue anymore. We're no longer interested in unsanctioned battles. If anything, we're expanding the market for your business."

"And what business do you fig'er I'm in?"

"War. I understand it was your company that supplied the weapons used on the ZBC Super Satellite. An impressive arsenal." He had to fight hard to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. To think that he was brown-nosing to the wretch that stabbed the Backdraft.

If Bernard took any offense, he didn't show it. "Never hurts to play it safe. Even the best bettin' man keeps a little cash on hand for when he loses big. You lost, and I'm not goin' down with you."

"Oh, we truly lost one battle, but even now we are geared to start a true war."

"That's the second time you've mentioned war. What war? What can you do with a bunch of half-assed pilots while the Elephander's MIA and the Berserk Fury's in ZBC hands? Ya'll got nothing."

Altiel leaned back, trying to emanate as much confidence as possible. "I make you this offer, Mr. Champ. Watch the Backdraft in these next few days. By week's end the whole of Zi will fear our name again and every military organization, from the ZBC to the lowest town sheriff, will be begging you for weapons. We'll also be hosting bets again, but the stakes will be much higher for the participants. Death awaits the losers, and all of Zi will be the ultimate prize."

Bernard was silent for a long while. "Fair 'nough. I'll wait one week, then I call the ZBC if you don't deliver. I'll be watchin' you, Altiel."

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Champ."

"You can call me Bernard, fer now." The screen flickered off.

Altiel had only a few moments to compose himself and try to ebb his anger before the threats started. Kristi Fuma strode into the base with her second-in-command dragging their guest behind. Loath as Altiel was to give that bastard Vaez any credit, he had read Fuma's actions perfectly. They'd come to the Guerrial base, far from the eyes of the world. Altiel once again dressed in a false smile, though this time he would be the one in a position of power.

"Fuma, what a delight to see you. I am relieved to see you've returned to us safely."

The young woman did not return his smile. "I have returned, but only as a guest. We have business."

"Oh? Do you need something from me?" He made sure he sounded sarcastic this time.

"Money and Zoids. You give us our Neo War Sharks, ten million zenny, and in return we'll give you two Genosaurers and our guest here." She gestured to the man standing behind, his arms cuffed at the wrist. The prison uniform strips barely contained his rather broad shoulders. Altiel tried hard not to laugh at the man's head. For some reason, that egg-shaped cranium always made Altiel giggle. His beady eyes and a haircut that looked like a broken shell made him all the more comical.

"Dr. Laon, how are you doing?"

"Peachy." Laon scowled at Fuma's Second, whose name Altiel couldn't remember. Dr. Laon had been Count Umbra's special invitee to the Backdraft. A master creator of Zoids weapons and energy systems, he had helped create the vastly superior Neo War Sharks, Shadow Fox, and served as the chief researcher for the Berserk Fury. He also exhibited a strong rivalry with Steve Toros, making him the enemy of the Backdraft's enemy. Fuma had been smart to liberate him from prison and bring him along.

Altiel returned his gaze to Fuma. "And if I give you all I ask, what will happen then? I seem to remember giving you three Genosaurers."

"We're selling you two of the three. One is in working order, the other is damaged."

"A damaged Zoid is hardly worth three Neo War Sharks and ten million zenny. I'm not even sure Dr. Laon is worth _that_ much."

"HEY!"

Fuma said, "My team is the only one that can bring out the full potential of the Neo War Sharks. Two Genosaurers are worth far more to you, even if one is damaged. The money will ensure our silence. I'm sure you don't want word to slip out as to why we attacked the Berserk Fury."

Altiel nodded. "That would make my life most difficult. But still, I can hardly let such a skilled espionage artist such as yourself slip away. We need your skills now more than ever."

"Tough. We're independent now. Either pay up or we take Dr. Laon, have him fix the broken Genosaurer, and spread the word that it was you who tried to kill the Backdraft's greatest Warrior. The last bet you'll ever have to wager is how long you can hold on to that 'Supreme Commander' title."

Altiel nodded. "I wouldn't bet on lasting very long, but since it would be my last wager I'm sure I'd put everything on the table." No one laughed. "Very well, Fuma, you have a deal. Provided, of course, you refuse this offer." He pressed a button on his desk panel, summoning an image of a woman. They could only see her from the chest up, but all that mattered was that Fuma saw the woman's face, as well as the gag around her mouth and the fear in her eyes. Two men dressed in black with masks over their faces held her steady. She looked like Fuma, but much older.

"Mother!" Fuma's face went white, a rare occurrence. Her mother tried to scream something through the gag, but Altiel cut the sound off.

"We were fortunate enough to rescue her from a ZBC pursuit force. She's now under my protection at one of our most secret bases. We can't have yet another member of our Committee falling into the enemy's hands."

Fuma's glare held the promise of death, and she spoke through gritted teeth. "And if _I_ want to be the one protecting her?"

"Then you can help me overthrow the ZBC. Your men are free to go, of course. They have no real stake in this. But I'm sure that, as a loyal daughter, you'll want to ensure that your mother never has to face a ZBC tribunal. I hear that some of the Committee of Seven members are either facing life imprisonment or even execution." No doubt the executions were supported by ZBC officials who stood to lose something if their connections with the Committee members came to light.

He watched Fuma's second, knowing that all of Fuma's men would follow her. Their loyalty was too strong for them to simply cut and run. He could see it in the fool's eyes. "You will have to maintain your silence, Fuma. It would be hard to guarantee your mother's safety if the Backdraft turned against itself any further, and I can promise you that you'd have to search a long time to find the Countess. Her location isn't documented anywhere besides within my own mind."

Fuma was silent for a long while. He could tell she wanted to send her clenched fist through his skull. She relented in the end. "What do you want me to do?"

"What do you want me to do, _sir_."

"What do you want me to do, sir?"

"Gather up your men and bring all three Genosaurers into this base. You'll then head out to the Triangle Darias base. We moved your War Sharks there in preparation for sea battles after the Royal Cup, though that's no longer an issue. You may return to your Dark Fortress if you wish, but I'll have new orders for you soon. Oh, and leave Dr. Laon here. I'll need to speak with him after you take those cuffs off." Fuma complied and turned to leave.

"When can I see my mother?"

"Oh, that's complicated. Due to the risks of a security leak, I'm afraid only a handful of people can know her location, most of whom are stationed at the base itself. Unfortunately, you're not part of the circle. I will try to arrange a meeting as soon as possible, but I doubt I'll be able to fit anything in until after we've toppled the ZBC."

Fuma's second snarled. "That could take years!"

"Then you'd all best give your full effort to speed the process along." Fuma and her man left, seething all the way. Altiel almost laughed. So this was how Bernard Champ felt just a moment ago.

Dr. Laon cleared his throat. "Are you sure it's okay to let them just walk out of here? Fuma might not stick around."

Altiel leaned back. "So long as I have her mother, I have her loyalty as well. She'll be no threat."

"Loyalty and obedience are two different things, my puppet." A voice came from behind and a vid screen snapped open in mid air. Sen Vaez wore his usual smug grin. "You handled that well, even if it was I who read you your lines. Just don't start thinking you're actually controlling this play."

Now came the surprise. A surprise for Altiel, and to a lesser extent, Dr. Laon. "Hey, I know you… you're-"

"A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Laon. I am Sen Vaez, ZBC Commissioner, Chairman, and shadow master of the Backdraft Group. I am the true power behind the throne of BD."

Altiel's good mood vanished. "What are you doing?"

"I am speaking with my new ally. For his roll to serve the greater good, I can't have him reporting to anyone other than myself."

"Then why aren't you putting him on the cutting board like you did to me?"

"C-cutting board?" Laon turned to run.

"There's no need to fear, Doctor. Altiel is having trouble understanding that our past 'transactions' were but a single case, not a general rule. As I said, Altiel, loyalty and obedience are two very different things. I cannot have your loyalty, so I had to ensure your obedience. With Dr. Laon, I am confident I can have both without resorting to extreme ends."

Dr. Laon turned back around, more composed now. "I appreciate the flattery, but I doubt you have anything to offer me. My time with the Backdraft has cost me dearly."

"Ah, yes. You've been black-listed by the ZBC, lost your Whale King, and all your research and funding has been confiscated. Truly, you are a man who has hit rock bottom."

Laon's expression soured. "That's about right. I can handle being snuffed by the ZBC, but it was the Backdraft that blew up my Great Whale King!"

Vaez nodded. "All Altiel's doing. Hence the reason I can't have you answering to him." He leaned closer to the monitor, as if to hold his face close to Laon's. "Doctor, I can help you rise to heights you never dreamt. I can fulfill all your desires. With my support, you can create wondrous Zoids that put the Shadow Fox to shame. More than that, your new creations will accomplish far more than Steve Toros could ever hope. You will surpass him in every way." He held up a picture of the Blitz Team member, Leena Toros. Altiel knew that Laon admired Leena from afar, just as he had loved Leena's mother years ago. Altiel had apparently stolen that picture from Harry Champ during a botched kidnapping and hostage attempt.

"I can also guarantee that you'll get to see Leena Toros almost every day of your life."

Laon's eyes widened. "How?" he almost whispered.

"The ZBC needs researchers to help advance Zoids development. If the brilliant yet slightly rogue Dr. Laon were to willingly return and reject the BD, I'm sure I could arrange for your assets to be released and gain a position for you on many projects. You'll also develop new Zoids for the Backdraft. I can promise that you'll be busier than you've ever been in your life, but I can also promise that you'll never feel more fulfilled."

"And… uh… about…"

"As for Leena Toros, she will be joining me here in Jusight in a matter of months. She'll serve a roll roaming about with the Blitz Team for a time, but very soon she'll be in the ZBC capital, leading a new life. _You_ can be a part of that life if you swear allegiance to me."

"You got it." Laon said in one breath. "Anything."

Altiel rolled his eyes. Laon was a weak-willed man to be taken in by some girl. Altiel had never succumbed to such weakness. He wondered what Laon could hope for, being as old as Leena Toros' father, could he seriously have romantic feelings for her? Or was it just some pathetic nostalgia for the woman he failed to win. In either case, Altiel wouldn't mind letting Laon go. What bothered him was that Vaez hadn't told him this was part of the plan. He knew better than to ask now. Vaez would only act more smug and say something involving puppets and how they don't need to know these things. Altiel was no one's puppet. He would find a way free of Vaez's grip, and then he'd personally strangle the life out of the little bastard.

Vaez and Laon hashed out a plan for Laon to escape in several days and make his way towards the nearest ZBC base. Vaez would ensure that a patrol would find him and escort him in. From there Laon's course would lead straight to the ZBC capital city, and Vaez's side.

Yes it was all business as usual at BD. Deals Altiel could handle, he loved making threats, but a surprise on him always spoiled the day.

"Damnit, damnit, damnit!" Iyaga threw a piece of equipment from Genosaurer 3, smashing it against a rock. "That damn bastard!" No one bothered to tell him to calm down. All of them felt the same way.

Koga watched the various damaged pieces scattered on the ground. "Couldn't we use the Genosaurers to storm the base and _make_ Altiel tell us where to find Countess Fuma? It's not like they'd be able to put up a fight against us."

Neguro shook his head. "Altiel would have left orders with her captors. If anything happens to him, I'm sure they would execute her."

Fuma nodded. Altiel was smart enough to cover for betrayal. It also added an incentive to Fuma herself to prevent others from raising a hand against the new Backdraft leader. If anyone killed Altiel, Fuma's mother would pay the price. It didn't matter if the assassin was a part of her team or not. "Everyone." She turned to face her team and tried not to show any of the emotions that pulled her down. "I have to stay with BD, but there's no limitation on all of you. I have to bring in the Genosaurers, but you can still go to the Triangle Darias and take back your Warsharks."

Iyaga chuckled. "And here I thought I was the one who made bad jokes."

Koga said, "We're not leaving. We'll stay until we free your mother."

Neguro. "And you'll have first dibs on killing Altiel."

Fuma smiled. Killing Altiel sounded nice. But not now. She'd have to follow Altiel, but not a second longer than necessary.

Leena had been right about the Panzer. With that super-heavy armor, Leo hadn't been able to remove the platting and fix the electronics and components within. He'd set to work immediately after returning from the Valley of the Rarehertz (despite a strong desire to sleep), and tried to finish repairing the Liger Zero's armor sets. Jager and Schneider were all set, but the Panzer would take a good while to fix.

On his way to the shower, Leo stopped at the kitchen. He was starving. Jamie had cleaned out most of the fridge in preparation for the team's journey. Leo still hated the idea of leaving the Toros base and having to spend the whole season on the road. The others weren't happy either, but they didn't have to worry about nightmares every time they slept somewhere new.

There were a few sugary snacks that Jamie had opted to leave behind. The kid really was the mother of the team. Leo could already hear Bit and Leena arguing about their abandoned treats. Brad had told him never to touch those snacks, because Bit and Leena fought for them tooth and nail. Too bad for them. He ate a cookie, and for some reason he felt as if he was suddenly one foot in the grave.

The vid-phone beeped. Who could be calling so early in the morning? Leo picked up quickly before anyone else could stir.

"LEEENAAA!" The man on the other line had his face pressed up so close to the camera that his mouth took up the whole screen. Leo jumped back, startled. "At last I have been freed from my medical prison. The barriers of health and safety could not hold my love for you!" The mouth pulled away, allowing Leo to get a view of the man's face. "Man" was perhaps too strong a word. This person was about the same age as Leena and Bit, but he seemed to have certain naiveté about him. He was lean, barely any real muscle, with short cut brown hair that formed a V around his forehead an extended down his head. He dressed in an odd orange and yellow cowboy-style shirt with brown pants, also cowboy-influenced. He spoke with such startling passion that Leo wondered if perhaps he'd accidentally keyed into someone else's conversation.

"It's been so long since I had the chance to gaze upon your brilliance. Forgive me for rousing you from your beauty sleep, but I couldn't bear to wait a moment longer and I-" He finally noticed Leo.

Rarely was Leo so startled and at such a loss for words. "Um… Hi?"

Now this strange person pressed his eye up against the camera. "Who are you? What are you doing in Leena's home? Are you some kind of kidnapper? I won't let you lay a finger on my dear Leena! Threaten her and you'll face Harry Champ, a man destined to be king!"

"Oh, uh… good for you." Wait a minute, did he just call Leo a kidnapper? As if anyone could hold a powder-keg like Leena. Maybe with fifty men and enough rope and metal to bind several Zoids… "My name is Leo. I'm the Blitz Team's mechanic."

The freaky man pulled away and composed himself instantly. "Ah, my Leena has hired a servant." Servant? There wasn't any malice in this "Harry Champ's" voice, but the way he simply stated it as a fact really angered Leo. "Go fetch her for me, will you? I haven't spoken to her since the Royal Cup and-"

"Where the hell do you get off calling me a servant?"

Harry's mouth fell. "How dare you speak to me like that? Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Do you have any idea how little I care?"

Harry tried to draw himself up to his full height, but he lacked the imposing presence. "I am Harry Champ, a man destined to be king."

"You said that already."

"My family tree extends back to-"

"You can take your 'family tree' and-" The screen flipped off. Leena stood by the controls, wearing her purple sleeping pants and shirt with her finger proudly pressed against the off button.

"You've got guts, talking to Harry like that. Most people hear the name 'Champ' and slink away. Only other guy I know who doesn't let Harry's money intimidate him is Bit."

Now that Leo didn't have a source for anger, he was able to reflect on Harry Champ's name. "Wait, 'Champ' as in 'Champ Corporation?'"

Leena grinned. "You guessed it! You just mouthed off at the son of the richest company on Zi. Harry likes to use his Dad's money on Zoids battles, so odds are he'll be challenging you with some special custom Zoid." She seemed to find this amusing.

Leo shrugged. "You make it sound like I should be quaking in my boots."

Now Leena had a dreamy look on her face. "Harry has challenged Bit time and again over my affections. Thousands of battles that shook all of Zi! They've dueled countless times for me. My great beauty-"

"And modesty?"

Leena shot him with a glare, then continued, "my _beauty_ has been a source of conflict between them for over a year now. It's almost more than an innocent girl like me can bear." Leo doubted all of that. He'd have to check the records, but he was willing to bet Bit and Harry had only "dueled" a few times.

"If he wants to duel me for you, then I'll forfeit. I don't need to compete for you."

Leena blushed. "Oh, no need to play coy. Trust me, soon you'll be on the battle field, facing off against Harry's custom Dark Horn in your outdated Zoid, and it'll all be for me." She giggled, until Leo took another bite of his cookie. "Where did you get that?" Now the other foot in the grave.

"Um, I got it over there…" He pointed to the kitchen.

"Ah-ha! So you're the one who set off my cookie alarm!"

"Cookie alarm?"

"I installed an alarm in my room for when Bit came back and tried to steal my treats! No one touches my stuff." She got right in Leo's face. "That includes _you_. Now hand that over."

Normally Leo might have resisted, but he was far too tried for this nonsense. He handed it over and Leena inspected the treat. "Okay, you can have this." She tossed it back to him.

"Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but why are you letting me eat something from your private stash."

"Because it's a cookie I stole from Bit, so I don't mind sharing." She bade him goodnight and went back to bed. Leo devoured the rest of the treat, then found Leena's alarm system and disabled it, helping himself to another cookie. If she ever found out, there'd be hell to pay, but she'd just given away one of Bit's stash, so it seemed only fair that he rob them both. Leo grinned all the way to sleep.

It was hard not to grow attached to Arcadia, thought "Chancellor" Hancock. He'd lived with the people of Argos for over a week now and it was impossible to miss the energy contained within Fylak's walls. These people were, by northern standards, poor and primitive, lacking any sort of comfort or advancement. But the Arcadians didn't care. They devoted all their energy to the tasks at hand. There was no time wasted thinking about what they lacked; instead they focused on what they could build. No regret or jealousy, only the drive to build and to welcome.

Hancock glanced at the flowers on his desk. A young lady dropped off fresh flowers to his door every day. He often missed her due to meetings, but he recognized her handwriting on the address note. At first he thought he was being bribed to stay, but then he learned that the same girl delivered flowers to the tech staffs and attendants within The Castle every day. He'd even seen the woman's flowers resting on King Prasino's desk.

At night several families delivered dinner to everyone, the royal family included. These people did not waste money on personal cooks or catering. They pooled their resources to support one another. Most of them, at least.

In his brief time as Chancellor of Resources, Hancock had poured over financing reports, requisitions, expenditure forms, and done a little personal digging of his own. He'd exposed several corrupt officials both within Argos and in outlying cities. Those men had been relieved of their positions and run out of the town, cursing Hancock all the way. It was hard not to feel satisfaction when Hancock realized that his revisions had made life a little easier for the people. In the ZBC, he'd averted countless disasters and incidents, but the people took their peace for granted and rarely made note. Even the news media ignored great accomplishments. They were too busy looking for the next failure to sensationalize. The people here could take nothing for granted, which seemed to keep their eyes clear.

Yes, it was hard not to love these people. Despite his earlier resolve not to form a bond he quickly realized he was losing that struggle. He cared. He cared about this place as much as he cared about the ZBC. He felt that old exhilaration, that feeling of purpose that had taken grip the first time he'd donned a ZBC uniform and lasted all the way to his retirement. I am a builder again, he realized. I am helping to build Arcadia's future. Even if it only lasts briefly, I will help build this nation.

It was with this new feeling that Hancock dreamed of solutions to the largest problem; competing the Zi superpowers. He had no desire to make an enemy of his old home, but now he had to think of a way to at least outshine them enough to win support from influential city-states. King Prasino had been right; whoever provided the best defense for the independents would win their loyalty. Arcadia had no army to send out, no material to waste on new bases. With this limitation at the forefront of his thoughts, Hancock had devised his most insane plan to date. He knew it was crazy, and he was sure his tension shown in every step on the way to the King's office.

Kenneth Gray had returned from Jusight only recently, and was as eager as everyone to hear Hancock's plan. Even Captain Stoller and Prince Atory sat in on the meeting.

Hancock stood with the same poise he had shown to ZBC councils. He knew he was taking these people more seriously now. "Having reviewed our current financing and reserves, I've reached the conclusion that there is no way we can finance a force large enough to route bandit groups and ensure peace for both allied and independent cities and towns."

King Prasino frowned. "Even with all the money we've managed to save through reorganization?" That was as much a compliment to Hancock as it was a question.

"Unfortunately, no sir. Between weapons expenditure and fuel costs, it would not be effective to send out bandit hunters. There is an alternative, however." He handed out packets that outlined his plan. "The ZBC currently enjoys the benefit of a large pool of resources, so they can afford to waste a little cash on excessive raid groups. During periods of budget restrictions, however, the ZBC has tightened up on the number of troops it sends out. Often, they choose to send out elite units to trouble spots and rely on their skills to accomplish what normally requires a much larger force. The issue with this plan is that pilot survival rates decrease, and it is difficult to find pilots of such high skill."

"Have you found a candidate amongst our ranks?" asked the King.

"No sir. No one in Arcadia has the level of experience or demonstrated the potential to serve in this capacity. The one exception is perhaps Captain Stoller." Hancock still wasn't sure how he felt about this ex-Backdraft warrior, but there was no denying the man's experience.

Stoller shook his head. "I'm retired now. No sense sending someone my age out there. We need someone younger to fulfill this role."

"Hold on." Kenneth Gray said, "We haven't even confirmed this plan. Chancellor, are you suggesting we send out a small team to police the troubled areas?"

This was the moment Hancock dreaded. If his plan was to fall, it would meet its end here. "What I am suggesting is that we train and fund _a_ warrior and give him or her carte blanche authority to be dispatched to trouble areas with the single objective of wiping out any bandit groups. No containment, no routing. The pilot will have to completely destroy the raiders' ability to function."

King Prasino raised an eyebrow. "Including taking the bandits' lives?"

"… if necessary, sir."

"Absolutely not. I will not hand our justice system over to an individual to deal out as he or she pleases."

Ambassador Gray nodded. "And this seems a tall order for just one pilot. To have to fight whole bandit groups with just one Zoid and no support. Why the pilot would have to be-"

"A guardian." Stoller's comment drew everyone's gaze. "What you're proposing, Chancellor, is a single-unit Guardian Force. In the past, Helic and Guyglos military units patrolled the world, but it was the Guardian Force that tackled the major problems that arose. Very often the GF sent single units into dangerous situations, most notably was Van Flyheight the Hero." To think that Stoller was Hancock's one supporter. Irony abounds. "This is an innovative idea and I recommend that we not dismiss it outright. The demands on the pilot will be staggering for a few months, but with time we can train small teams to go out and ease the burden somewhat. Furthermore, this would save funding we could channel into defense groups for current and new territories. Most towns are lucky to have a Godos or Molga acting as guardian. We might actually have enough money remaining to provide stronger defenses."

King Prasino nodded. "I see your point. But the matter of a pilot still remains. We'll also have to purchase a strong Zoid to support the pilot."

Ambassador Gray said, "We could hire a Zoids Warrior. That would solve the matter of a Zoid as well. Bit Cloud is known for taking on just causes. Perhaps Chancellor Hancock could persuade him."

Hancock shook his head. "Bit Cloud is used to fighting as a member of a team, albeit an unorthodox team. Furthermore, the Liger Zero requires a Combat Armor System to draw out its full potential. The cost of hiring a crew to man the Hover Cargo carrying such a system would defeat the purpose."

Stoller added, "Besides, most Warriors will only fight for as long as the interest holds them. We need to have someone we _know_ will be devoted."

The King said, "We seem to know the qualifications for a candidate, but you've yet to make a recommendation."

Hancock turned to the back of his packet, indicating that the others should follow. "This is a rather unknown Zoids pilot who recently joined the Blitz Team. He has no last name, and very little history. He's known only as Leo."

The others read what information Hancock had been able to provide. Ambassador Gray said, "A truly _unremarkable_ record. Failed to attain even a Class B ranking, let alone stay with a team for over a month. Exceptional mechanical skills, but sub-par piloting." He looked at Hancock in bewilderment. "What led you to recommend this person?"

The perfect opening. Hancock inserted a video disk into the King's deck. An image of a strange bison-based Zoid charging a Godos materialized above the King's desk. Everyone watched in silence and the Godos braced itself for the collision, then jumped at the last second and rolled over the unknown Zoid's back, landing flawlessly.

"Cool!"

"Atory." The boy fell silent, though Hancock could tell both the King and everyone else in the room was equally impressed.

Hancock paused the playback. "This information is from last night. It was e-mailed to me by a friend in the military."

The King was taken aback, "You _told_ her about our search?"

"No sir. It's a complicated story, but apparently this friend of mine was in command of a Godos unit charged with stopping the rampaging Zoid. The one we just saw was commandeered by this Leo person. I have data confirming him as the pilot. Due to the debacle with this mystery Zoid, my friend was discharged and is now seeking a position elsewhere. She thought I might be able to help her and passed along this information more as a point of interest. It was recorded by several news crews, so it's hardly confidential. No one knows the pilot's name, however. The ZBC is apparently claiming this was one of their own pilots. Incidentally, I did mention our need for pilots and manpower here in Arcadia."

The King nodded. "She is more than welcome if she desires. And thank her for this information. But I am confused. A move such as the one we just witnessed seems beyond this pilot's skill level."

Stoller grinned. "There are some things you can't measure through official battles. No disrespect to Chancellor Hancock intended." When asked for an explanation, Stoller said. "The moment we just saw was not an official battle. It's the one time we see how this pilot reacts to a situation where he has something more to lose than points or a reputation. Chancellor, if I may ask, what was this pilot doing in a military Godos?"

"The information is limited, but apparently a friend of this person was in the field of fire unprotected. He piloted a downed Godos in order to extract this friend and escape."

Stoller grinned again, an excitement in his eyes. "So both the pilot's life and the life of his friend were on the line and he managed to pull off what is usually regarded as a Class S move."

King Prasino had noted the look in Stoller's eyes as well. "Captain, you seem unusually interested in this young man."

"I think I see something of myself within him, sire."

"Would you elaborate?" This ought to be good. The biography of a Backdraft Warrior. _Ex_-Backdraft, Hancock reminded himself.

"When I was about this man's age, I too enrolled in legitimate Zoids battles. I was able to obtain Class B standing, but I hit my limit there. I didn't have what it took to reach Classes A or S. At the end of the season, my team and I returned to our home: a small town on the outskirts of southern Europa. Bandits were a constant fear for my friends and family, and we suffered many raids. One such raid came the very night my team returned. I'll never forget how terrified I was. We were only a Helcat and two Command Wolves versus several Molgas, a Command Wolf, and a Saber Tiger. The odds were totally unbalanced.

"I remember thinking I was going to die, but to run away would mean leaving my family at the mercy of the raiders. So I fought with the total desperation of a man facing his end. I won, though I still can't imagine how. All I know is that I challenged a Saber Tiger in a Helcat (_without_ a stealth unit, I might add) and walked away the victor. That battle was my crowning glory.

"But that battle also meant the end of my time in official Zoids Battles. When the new season started, I ended up piloting worse than before. My training and piloting had improved during the off-season, but the moment I returned I found something missing. Having put everything on the line: my friends, my Zoid, my family, my _life_… official battles were suddenly bland in comparison. I felt nothing when I fought, so I had no reason to strive for victory. Losing a battle meant falling down a few ranks, but after the danger of death, that wasn't so frightening an issue. I left the official ranks and was eventually drawn by rumors of the Backdraft: a group of rogues who put everything on the line in unofficial battles."

Hancock scoffed, "So you joined the Backdraft as a thrill-seeker."

If these words upset Stoller, he didn't show it, though the King reprimanded Hancock. Stoller merely said, "I think that I, like many of the men I've trained in BD, sought a battle that meant more than simple competition. There is a different feel to war-like situations and steeper losses. It is an adrenaline-rush, but it is also a moment of meaning and clarity. Sometimes people who do poorly in mundane exercises can excel under pressure. I believe this Leo person is the same as I."

The King nodded. "I see… and should we manage to gain the allegiance of this young man, who would train him?"

"I would." Both Stoller and Hancock spoke in unison, then glared at each other.

"This is my plan. I should be the one to train our 'Guardian' as you put it."

Stoller retorted. "This scenario calls for someone who isn't steeped in military formations and protocol. I've trained many Backdraft members to function as independent units. I know what is needed."

"Enough." The King motioned for both men to sit down. "We are not yet at the point of making a decision on this issue. Chancellor Hancock's plan makes much sense, especially given our limited resources, but I am not yet ready to commit to such an unorthodox plan. For now, we will monitor this Leo as best we can, and see if he can confirm Captain Stoller's ideas. Should he prove to be the man we seek, I will then decide who will train him. We will also keep our eyes open for other candidates. Agreed?" Everyone nodded their assent.

Hancock left the meeting a bit dazed. Stoller had been his one ally in supporting this plan, but both knew that if this carried through they would be at odds over who molded this special pilot, this new Guardian. Hancock could feel himself becoming more and more upset at the idea that Stoller would take over the strategy Hancock designed.

This would all be so much easier if he simply didn't care.

It took the Blitz Team two days to reach their first battleground. The ZBC had intentionally arranged the battles to test both teams' mobility. Anyone who failed to appear at the appointed time instantly forfeited. It added an element of suspense to the battles. The penalty for losing a game was much steeper this season. Several loses in a row led to the demotion of Class F. All this to keep interest in Zoids battles, and word was Sen Vaez had even more plans hovering within his mind. Leena didn't object to this, naturally, but the others were concerned that too many changes at once would leave every Zoids Warrior struggling to cope.

Leo spent most of his time eating, sleeping, and trying to fix the Panzer. The damn thing's armor nearly broke the Hover Cargo's manipulator arms. How Bit could pilot the Liger Zero with such super-heavy armor was completely beyond Leo's comprehension. Much to their credit, Bit, Brad, and Jamie helped when they could, but they were more focused on preparing for the upcoming battle. Leena was less involved, usually daydreaming about Sen Vaez. She hadn't told anyone about her encounter in the Valley of the Rarehertz beyond meeting Vaez and being chased by the Cannon Fort. No mention of Eveopolis. Leo could understand since that had been a moment of extreme vulnerability and Leena might need some time before being comfortable enough to talk about it. He knew he had no right to speak of it anyway.

By the day of the actual contest, the Panzer was seventy-percent restored. Leo knew he couldn't finish the work before the fight, so he showered, ate, and joined the team in the Hover Cargo's meeting room for one final briefing.

Jamie stood next to the monitor, which displayed several powerful Zoids. "I know you're all excited to be participating in our first Class S battle, but this battle isn't going to be easy. In many ways, the Royal Cup was a cake walk. Every team that's in Class S has either won the Royal Cup themselves, or accumulated enough wins to advance. This season's going to be even tougher than last year."

Leena waved her hand. "You make it sound like we're losing already. Don't forget, we've already beaten Vega Obscura. You can't tell us that these Class S fighters will be any worse than _he_ was."

Leo glanced at Bit, who was staring eagerly at the Zoids on the monitor. A Shield Liger, an Iron Kong PK, and a Storm Sworder. Damn, that was an impressive array. Shield Ligers boasted a nearly flawless defense with their e-shields, and an Iron Kong PK enjoyed impressive firepower from its shoulder-mounted beam cannon and missile pods. Combine that with the Storm Sworder's high speed and blades and you had a very balanced team. No doubt these Zoids were also customized to suite the pilots. One of the benefits of Class S was raking in a good deal of zenny, enabling pilots to buy the best Zoids out there.

Doc said, "Listen up team! We need to decide which units we'll field in the battle. It's a tough call since the battle mode is 0982, we can only field as many units as our opponents. So, we have to choose three of our four warriors."

Brad said, "Since the enemy has a Storm Sworder, we should send Jamie out in his Raynos."

Jamie shook his head. "I thought that at first too, but the Raynos isn't going to do much good against an Iron Kong PK and a Shield Liger. Its weapons aren't strong enough. It might be better to have Leena keep the Storm Sworder at bay while Brad takes out the Shield Liger, and Bit focuses on the Iron Kong."

"This would be a pretty easy decision if the Panzer was up and running." Leena threw a teasing grin Leo's direction. "We could simply blow them all away at once."

"No. I'm gonna use the Schneider." Bit drew everyone's attention. "Panzer's great for anti-air combat and blowing away multiple Zoids, but I want to face that Iron Kong one-on-one!" There was such a thrill in his voice. He was definitely feeling something Leo had missed.

Jamie said, "But Bit, what about he Storm Sworder? Shouldn't you switch back to the Jager once you've won with the Schneider?"

Bit shrugged. "If they'll let me. Otherwise, I'll make do with what I have. It's the challenge that matters." Bit's attitude decided everything. Inspired by his confidence, the team elected to use their standard lineup: Bit in Liger Zero, Brad in Shadow Fox, Leena in Ballistic the Gun Sniper. Jamie would run tactical and Doc would… play with toys, apparently. Now that the briefing was over he had two Zoid models in his hand and claimed he was practicing battle scenarios. Too bad a Gojulas and Genosaurer weren't participating in this battle; otherwise his ideas might actually work.

Leo followed Bit to the Liger's maintenance platform, perched at the very top of the Hover Cargo and awaiting deployment. They hopped on a small elevator and began to rise up. "You seem awfully excited."

Bit grinned. "I'm always psyched before a battle. Best feeling in the world!" Leo never remembered feeling that way.

"But like Leena said, you beat Vega Obscura. He was the toughest opponent out there, right?"

Bit stepped off the elevator and looked at his partner. "Yeah, I worried about that for a while. But then I remembered all the fights Liger and I have been in, and all the rematches we've experienced. You've heard of Jack Sisco, right?"

"Yeah. The Lightning Saix mercenary. He's supposed to be one of the best."

Bit nodded. "I beat Jack the first time we fought, so I figured that I could beat him anytime I wanted. I didn't hear from him for months, until he suddenly showed up on the Tasker sisters' Lightning Team. Even then, I thought I'd win no problem. I was invincible; no one could bring us down, right Liger?" The Liger Zero growled, but it sounded more like a chuckle. Bit's expression was both reflective and eager. Leo had never seen that look on a person's face. "Jack blew me away. I couldn't even touch him. Since our last fight, he'd been doing some serious training, gaining perfect control of his Lightning Saix. I couldn't keep up because I let my ego get in the way of my growth."

He turned to face Leo. "I beat Vega once, but there's always someone stronger out there. Someone else is training hard so he can be number one. Every fight I enter helps me become stronger, so I'll be ready to face another rival someday. Who knows, maybe Vega will even challenge me again."

Leo shrugged. "Kinda hard to do that since he's in ZBC custody."

"Yeah, well, you can never tell with that kid." Bit climbed into the Liger's cockpit and nestled in behind the piloting harness.

One final question. "You guys decided on who would fight, but what about a strategy? I didn't see any formation charts."

"We don't use 'em. Too boring."

"You're kidding me."

"Naw. We're a pretty loose team. Just watch us on the field today and you'll see how we fight. You might also understand why I'm so excited." The cockpit closed and Leo moved away from the platform as it followed the Hover Cargo's arch downward. Somehow, he doubted he'd ever understand Bit Cloud.

At the base of the maintenance hanger, the two storage doors on either hissed open, revealing an array of service arms that grabbed hold of the Liger's white armor and pulled it off the main body. Without its protection, the Liger Zero looked extremely thin, and basic. Leo could see most of its hydraulics, making him grin at the thought of a "naked" Zoid.

The storage chambers rotated and came to a halt several doors later. Once again the arms reached outward, this time installing the Schneider close-range combat unit. This armor system was a mixture of both blocky and streamline designs. Most of the streamlined armor encased the Liger's head. The two thrusters formed the "mane" along with five sky-blue blades. Another, larger pair of blades were held along the Liger's back by fold-down arms, much like the Blade Liger's design. When Leo looked at the Liger Zero Schneider, he could see why people considered it the Blade Liger's successor. Doc Toros had taken the Blade Liger's strengths and amplified them, save for the shield generator. That was the one power the Schneider lacked.

Fully equipped, the Schneider ascended again towards the launch catapult. Leo made his way to the bridge, uncertain what kind of a show he'd see. The enemy team had arrayed their Zoids in a triangle formation, with the Storm Sword hovering above its comrades and the Shield Liger taking point. Judging from their positioning, the Iron Kong would fire at long range while its teammates charged in for close-range combat.

By contrast, the Blitz Team didn't appear to have any formation. Each unit looked ready to charge in head-first and snatch the most kills. When Leo voiced his concerns, Doc said, "We're not too big on formations and strategies. Just sit back and enjoy. I can promise you'll never see another team battle quite like ours." Now _that_ was reassuring. But it was exactly the same attitude as Bit's. What kind of team had he signed on to?

The Judge capsule had landed a long time ago, judging by how the crater was already partially filled in by shifting sands. Leo guessed many naturalists were happy that capsules wouldn't be falling to Zi and punching holes in the landscape for a while. "The area within a twenty-mile radius is a designated Zoid battle field. This area is now restricted. Only competitors and personnel have authorized entry. Danger: all others must leave the area at once.

The judge scanned the area, confirming no intruders. "Battlefield set up. The Blitz Team versus the Heart Fire team. Battle Mode 0982. Ready… FIGHT!" At the Judge's bell tone both teams rushed forward. The Storm Sworder swooped in, only to be met by Leena's barrage. Not a single shot landed, but the aerial Zoid was too busy dodging to do anything. Shadow Fox jumped past the Shield Liger, then spun on the its heel and pursued, firing its laser Vulcan gun. Schneider continued forward, weaving between blasts from the Iron Kong PK's shoulder cannon and its missiles.

Things seemed to be going well enough, until the teams spread out. Both Ballistic and Shadow were outmatched by their respective opponents. Having figured out Leena's attack style (shoot first and damn the consequences), the Storm Sworder took advantage of its speed and began pelting Leena with sonic booms. Leo was amazed at how she dug the Gun Sniper's larger talons into the sand, enabling her to stay upright in the shockwaves' blasts.

Brad, meanwhile, was running beside the Shield Liger. Both Zoids used their pivoting weapons to fire at each other while maintaining a parallel course. It would have been an even contest except the Shield Liger was better at using its boosters to jump ahead of its opponent and then fire during an opening. Brad had already taken two direct hits and the Shadow Fox was running slower. Suddenly the Shield Liger jumped up and somehow managed a short back-flip, putting it behind the Shadow Fox. Leo wasn't sure how the pilot had pulled off that little stunt, but now he was in a prime position to take Brad down.

Farther off, Bit was trying to land a strike with his laser blades, but the Iron Kong was good and swatting away the Schneider's approach with amazing reaction time. Neither Zoid had taken any significant damage, but the minute Leena or Brad went down Bit would find himself trapped in a two-on-one situation.

Leo turned to Jamie. "You have a way out of this situation, right? The team's not doing so well."

Jamie just smiled and said, "I made a promise to myself to be more flexible this year. Watch this." He flipped on the comm. "Leena, did you know that several of your cookies were missing." Was Jamie going to rat Leo out? "I think you should ask Bit about that." What?

"BIT CLOUD! How dare you?"

Bit hopped away from the Iron Kong. "Huh? What I do?" Leena's reply was to launch a salvo of missiles straight at the Liger Zero. Leo wasn't surprised by Leena's attacks anymore, but he was confused by Jamie.

"You do realize you set Bit up to lose, right?"

"Maybe."

"… Isn't this some sort of plan?"

Jamie shrugged. "Depends on what the others do." Before Leo could ask what _that_ meant, the Shadow Fox came bounding into the path of the missiles, and just as quickly jumped away. The smoke cloud it had been expelling remained in the air, however. The barrage flew into the cloud and never came out. Leo frowned until he realized that he'd lost track of the Shield Liger. Sure enough, Leena's attack had hit home. The smoke cleared to reveal the enemy Zoid lying on its belly with half its left side smoking.

Brad's face flipped into view on the monitors. "Leena, what do you think you're doing? You're firing at your own teammates!"

"Can it!" Leena fired yet another round. This blast carried forward, but now Bit and the Iron Kong were aware of Leena's raging and managed to avoid any hits.

"Wait, Brad wasn't intending to lead the Shield Liger into that attack?"

"Intending? Why would I intentionally move into the path of an attack?"

Doc explained, "One of the keys to our teams strategy-"

"Or lack thereof." Jamie muttered.

"-is that our pilots random and unrelated actions somehow weave together to form some kind of offense. The only downside is… we have absolutely no idea what they're doing."

"Hate to interrupt this little chit-chat," Leena growled, "But how about helping me with this stupid bird!" The Storm Sworder strafed her with the machine guns on its wings. Brad sighed and turned his back on Leena, then opened the tail-mounted net launcher and fired a projectile along the flying Zoid's path. The metal casing sprung loose and the energized net ensnared the Storm Sworder, shocking it into submission and out of the match.

With two down and one to go, Leo looked back at Bit, who was making what looked like a final charge at the Iron Kong. The five blades arrayed around the Schneider's head snapped forward, creating a sharp battering ram out of the Zoid's whole body. "BUSTER SLASH!" The Schneider met the Iron Kong head-on, matching its blades against the enemy's metallic fist. Leo never saw the connection. Both Zoids seemed to brush past each other without even chipping their paint.

Then the Iron Kong's shoulder exploded. Bit had somehow severed a vital connection, and the Iron Kong's body was forced to reject the arm rather than let the damage compromise the main body. He never even caught the moment the blade struck home. How had Bit managed such a strike?

"Battle over! Battle over! The winner is… The Blitz Team?" All three Zoids roared triumphantly at the Judge's announcement.

"Well done, everyone." Doc Toros grinned. "Pretty fun to watch, huh, Leo?"

"Yeah…" He had never seen so chaotic and random a team as the Blitz. How had they made it to Class S by shooting at each other and ignoring formations? Leo wasn't sure he understood anything, least of all the Blitz's Team "strategies" and Bit's amazing talent.

Leo spied the enemy Liger. Many of its e-shield generators had been destroyed by Leena's barrage. Odds were the pilot would opt to replace the parts rather than repair them. Come to think of it, some of those smaller generator parts might work with Fang…

With a grin on his face, Leo headed down the battlefield.

Fear.

Fear was the catalyst for change on Zi. Soon, every man, woman, and child would tremble at night, fearing they were next to die. Why hadn't their leaders anticipated this disaster? Why couldn't they stop the attack? Why that city? It wasn't even affiliated. It made no sense. The randomness of it would be far more frightening than the death toll.

Vaez grinned as he sealed the envelope containing his instructions to Altiel. No doubt his puppet would be terrified of the plan as well. No matter. So long as he obeyed.

The Blitz Team's triumph played on several monitors, most of which featured Leena Toros' Gun Sniper. Such a common Zoid, even with the impressive customization. Once Vaez figured out how to break the Blitz Team, he'd have to give Leena a better Zoid (one that did not go rampaging about the land). All in good time.

First came fear, _then_ conquest.

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Author's Note: I'm glad I could post this before Christmas, so I could wish you all a happy season. Who knows when I'll have the chance to wish you well with another chapter… Until next time!


	13. A Normally Abnormal Day

Battle Dawn

Chapter 13: A Normally Abnormal Day

by Silver

Author's Note: Long time no writing, eh? Work's insane and I haven't had much time to myself. Writing fan fiction is a great way to relax and take my mind off things, so I appreciate both the readers and giving me the chance to express myself like this.

Nothing too big to mention about this chapter. It's more a transition to other parts of the story. I hope you enjoy.

Maybe Leena's missiles inherited her ballistic personality. It sure seemed as if they'd blown off more of the Shield Liger's armor and parts than the average projectile. Leo stepped over a chunk of debris that looked like it'd come from the Shield Liger's torso. The metal chunk was worn and melted, creating a smooth lip around the edges. It must have been white hot at the time of the explosion. To inflict that kind of damage on a Zoid in one barrage… Leena was terrifying.

Still, the Zoid core was intact and Shield Ligers were too valuable to simply discard. Leo had little doubt that the pilot would choose to repair the Zoid rather than buy a new one. The man in question was slumping out of the cockpit, dazed. The reality of defeat hadn't set on his face yet. "You all right?"

The man nodded. "What the hell hit me? I thought the sun had exploded."

Leo grinned nervously. "Sorry about that. One of our pilots is a little heavy on the trigger." The man was uninjured, so now Leo regarded the scattered shield generator parts around the crash sight. "Are you going to be needing these?"

"What? That's all scrap metal now. It'd be cheaper to buy new parts."

"So I can take them?"

"Help yourself, for all the good they'll do ya." The man shrugged and began checking his Zoid over, confirming there was no terminal damage. He appeared to have already forgotten Leo. For a moment he was angry at the brush off, but there were rumors about Class S arrogance. He hoped the Blitz Team didn't fall to that. Well, Leena was pretty full of herself to begin with…

Leo left the man alone and began collecting whatever looked even remotely useful in his arms. Shield generators, power couplings, even standard wiring; anything that could be adapted to Fang was fair game. There wasn't much that was useable, but soon Leo had every bolt and piece of scrap tucked away in his jacket, which now served as a make-shift carrying sack. There was only one shield generator component left on the ground, and two hands reached for it.

Leo looked up, startled by the competition. Bit Cloud grinned back at him. "Hey, nice day for some scavenging, huh?" Bit was using his own jacket to carry his bounty, which was double the size of Leo's collection. Since they hadn't bumped into each other until just now, he could only have been "scavenging" on the other side of the Shield Liger.

"You didn't ask to pick those parts up, did you?"

"Naw, that wastes time and lets the competition get all the good stuff. It's faster to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?"

"Does that apply to stealing Leena's cookies as well?"

"Oh, you heard about that… Leena's not big in the forgiveness department. Steal her food is more a test of stealth and courage."

"… Take your hand off that shield part or I'll tell her who stole her last cookie."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me!" Both men growled at each other like two wolves vying for the same meat. Leo wondered who would triumph in this test of will, until they were interrupted by a giant shadow passing overhead. Leo looked up at the belly of a Whale King suspended overhead, eclipsing the sun like a small moon. "Who the heck would be-" Bit was already several paces distant, running with his collection of parts, the disputed part they both claimed, and several parts that Leo had placed in his _own_ collection! "Bit Cloud! Stop thief!" Bit cackled and ran behind the Shield Liger's remains. The pilot of the fallen Zoid was also fleeing for some reason. Leo never had time to give chase. A massive crimson meteor fell from the Whale King's mouth, kicking up a tidal wave of sand that engulfed Leo. It took several moments to dig himself out, only to want to sink back into the sand as an Iron Kong glared down at him. For a moment he thought the opposing team's Zoid was back in action, but its bright red color scheme was totally different from the brown and gray design of the beaten Iron Kong.

The gorilla-type Zoid pointed a finger at him. It was easily big enough to squash his body. "I challenge you to a duel!"

"Wha?" Leo blinked. That voice sounded a lot like…

"Harry? What are _you_ doing here?" Leena's Gun Sniper marched into view.

"Leena! My darling! How I've longed to-"

"Answer my question!"

The Iron Kong pointed its finger back at Leo. "Earlier this week, this upstart dared to mouth off to me! I demand satisfaction!"

Leo's anger shifted. "You called me a servant! Who's mouthing off at whom?"

Leena spoke over her loudspeakers. "Tsk, tsk, Harry. How could you call my new sweetie a servant? Leo, dear, aren't you going to stand up for your honor?"

"Sweetie?" Harry asked dumbfounded.

"Dear?" Leo was equally confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Leena, you can't mean to say you've settled for anything less than the Prince?"

Words were suddenly hard to gather. "'Settled for less?' Where the hell do you… I am not… WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!"

Leena oozed smugness. "Sorry, Harry, but you can't keep a girl waiting so long. While you were in the hospital, Leo came in and swept me off my feet. You've got some hard competition now. So many men seem to be vying for my attention. Oh, what is a girl like me to do?" Giggle.

She really shouldn't leave an opening like that. "I know what you can do. You can go and-"

"I CHALLENGE YOU AGAIN!" the Iron Kong boomed. "You and I will duel for Leena's love! The winner shall have her hand in marriage."

"Oh no. No! No! No! She and I are _not_ a couple. You want her, don't bother with me. Go right ahead and take that pain-"

Ballistic turned around. "What's the matter, Leo? Afraid a 'commoner' can't match Harry?" Commoner? Why that stuck-up, selfish, manipulative bit-

Harry laughed. "Yes! None dare challenge the Prince! I'm Harry Champ, a man destined-"

"To have his butt whooped in a few minutes. I'll be right back with my Zoid." Leo ran towards the Hover Cargo. He hadn't been this mad since he'd challenged Leena to fight, and he was trying not to remember what happened back then. Given how furious he was now, any pack of marauding Zoids better stay clear of this battle. What the hell was Leena doing? Since when had she decided they were a couple? And what was with this Champ guy? He stalked the Blitz Team all the way out here to duel? I swear, thought Leo, this team attracts every weirdo and freak in the universe.

He climbed into Fang and set the Hover Cargo's rotation system to take him up to the catapult. Leena's aggravating face appeared on a comm screen. "Good luck out there. I'm so glad you've come to your senses and decided to duel for my love. I knew you had feelings, but I never imagined you'd go to such lengths for my beauty!"

"Are you delusional?"

"Oh, there's no need to be shy about it."

"I just got Fang fixed and now I have to fight an Iron Kong because of your ego trip."

"I didn't _make_ you choose to fight Harry. I can't help it if you're compelled to battle for my dazzling looks." She had a point about choosing to fight, but the rest of it-

Doc's face appeared on a screen next to Leena's. "This should be an interesting fight. I don't think a Command Wolf's ever had the audacity to challenge an Iron Kong to a one-on-one fight."

Now Jamie joined. "I just ran the stats through the simulations. Leo's Command Wolf-"

"His name is Fang!"

"-has a 1 in 65 chance of winning. We need to leave within half an hour if we're going to reach the next battle site on schedule, so could you please try to finish this up by then? According the computer, you should last about five minutes; ten if Harry's game is off today."

"Wait a minute!"

"Jamie," Doc chided. "that's no way to support your teammates."

"I'm just reading the computer's predictions. I really am rooting for you, Leo."

Leena was only half-listening. "Anything's possible when you're fighting with passion for the one you adore! I wish I could return your feelings, Leo, but Sen is the only man for me. But don't let this sad truth dampen your resolve to prove yourself to me!"

Brad came online before Leo could snap anything back. "You know, Harry usually wagers a lot on fights like these. See if you can't make a bet with him. If you think you'll lose, just bet you'll last more than… what was it, Jamie, five minutes?"

"Yeah, he should try for seven, I think."

Doc sighed. "Really, now, such terribly defeatist attitudes."

"Fight for love!"

"I call dibs on any left over parts!" Oh, great. Now Bit was in on this.

"All of you SHUT UP!" Leo killed the communications channel. "I'm surrounded by psychos, thieves, and liars!" He gritted his teeth as the catapult's electric charge accelerated him forward, flinging him into the air where Harry Champ waited to duel.

"My name is Harry Champ. I'm a man destined to-"

"DIE!" Leo didn't wait to hit the ground before opening fire with Fang's new sniper rifle. None of the shots struck the Iron Kong's body, but the blasts startled Harry into a panicked run. Fang pursued, firing round after round. Some blasts hit the Kong's back. They were relatively harmless against what had to be customized armor. The young Champ had obviously poured a lot of money into the Zoid, and it outclassed Fang in probably every regard. That didn't stop Harry from running.

"Stop! What are you doing? Don't you believe in the honor of a duel?"

"Forget honor. Now stand still while I shoot you!" Yeah, this was the perfect way to relieve stress. He could understand why Leena enjoyed blowing stuff up. 'Course, he'd never say that to her. She'd just get all smug and annoying as always. Leo imagined Leena's face on the Iron Kong's buttock and aimed as best he could. Then he envisioned Bit, the part stealer. Then Jamie with his computer predictions and split personalities. Seven minutes, yeah right. That only reminded him of Brad and his wagers. Another shot. Leo couldn't think of a reason to envision Doc, but he did it anyway and fired, repeatedly.

By the time he'd used up his ammo, Harry had fled to a large dune overlooking an outcropping of rocks. In his flight, he nearly tumbled over the side of the dune. The Kong swayed and waved its arms frantically, trying to regain balance. Leo didn't let him. Fang charged forward and bounced both paws off the Iron Kong's butt, toppling it forward end-over-end and smashing it into the ground below.

The rocks shattered against the Kong's head, hailing down as pebbles that bounced off the Zoid's dented body. "Ughhohhh…" Harry Champ, the man destined to be king, moaned. The Iron Kong was battered, but its armor bore the brunt of its fall. While dazed, Harry would be okay.

"Harry!"

"My goodness." Two more Iron Kongs approached from behind. One passed by Fang and moved to help its fallen brother; the other paused in front of Leo. "We're very sorry for Harry's behavior. He's been obsessed about proving himself to Leena and I'm afraid you lit the fuse." The voice was very calm, albeit somewhat squeaky. Its owner, however, was the last thing Leo expected. He'd heard about custom robots that served as personal attendants, but this was the first time he'd seen one, and piloting a Zoid no less! It looked like a stack of multi-sized disks with a small domed head and visor for eyes. Two retractable arms sprung from the largest disk, placed about shoulder-height on the robots body. "My name's Benjamin. My partner, Sebastian, and I are Harry's aids. And as his aid I have to apologize for his behavior… again." Benjamin regarded his partner. "How many apologies does this make?"

"Two-hundred, forty-seven."

"Really? We're almost at Two-hundred-fifty! I should bake a cake."

"Uh…" Leo wasn't sure what would happened next. "You're not here for revenge, right? I mean, he started the fight."

"Oh, no, we don't do revenge. While Harry's actions can push our tolerance protocols, we are under no obligation to defend his honor, or what's left of it."

Sebastian was stealing even more of Harry's honor with a lecture. "Honestly, why did you run from that outdated Command Wolf? Its sniper rifle can barely crack your Iron Kong's armor. And falling off a sand dune? Surely you could have at least-"

"Be quiet, Sebastian!" Harry roared. "You! This is not over! I shall never let you take Leena's hand in marriage. We will face each other again!"

"Huh?" Oh, yeah. Leo grinned as he remembered the terms of the fight. Sweet revenge crept inside his mind and found a warm welcome. He bade the robots goodbye and moved Fang back to the Hover Cargo. Leena was waiting inside, grinning.

"So, how'd you like fighting Harry? I see you learned a few things from my piloting style." Yeah, like how to waste a month's pay on ammunition. Leo didn't let the irritation show.

"Yes, dear, you teach me so much." He leaned closer. "Now how about a kiss?"

Leena went stark white. "W-what are you talking about?"

"The terms of the match, honey. 'Winner gets to marry Leena.' How do you feel about a trip to the Triangle Darias for a honeymoon?"

Now she was as red as Leon's Blade Liger. "How _dare _you even suggest-"

"You can't get out of this one, Leena." The rest of the team grinned at her from the doorway. Bit's grin was the widest. "Never thought I'd see _you_ get hitched."

Brad nodded, "I always thought she'd end up killing any boy before he had a chance to propose."

Jamie agreed. "Technically, Leo hasn't proposed. He's marrying her by default and-"

"My little girl's all grown up!" Docs was in tears. "I thought I'd never get her out of the house, but finally-"

"QUIET!" Leena stormed off. "I don't have to take this. I'm calling Sen! _He _at least knows how to treat a girl with respect." She stormed out of the hanger like a rampaging Gojulas.

The other men burst out laughing as soon as the door slid shut. "Oh, man." Bit was in tears too, from laughing. "I never thought I'd ever see her that riled up! It's like someone stole all the cookies and donuts in the world and ate 'em right in front of her!"

"Dumped on your wedding day," said Brad. "Sorry for that."

Leo shrugged. "Plenty more fish in the sea, I guess."

Bit nodded, "And hopefully the next one won't be a sea serpent."

"_Ahem_. That is my daughter you're talking about."

"Sorry, Doc."

The team's leader sighed. "I am sorry for the trouble she caused, Leo. But I am glad you managed to turn the tables. I hope she'll be a little less reckless with both you and Harry after this."

Brad shrugged. "Too bad Harry won't learn. You just earned a rival for life."

"Whoop-dee-do." Leo didn't enjoy the thought of Harry Champ charging up and issuing challenges again and again. Then he realized how casual he was being with people who, just a short while ago, made him want to pull out his hair. Strange how this team was so skilled at moving from one emotion to the next with almost no effort. Even Leo got caught up in the current.

Doc threw his arm around Leo. "Well, let's not dwell on things. Time to celebrate Leo's first decisive victory!" A feast awaited them in the Hover Cargo's meeting area. Jamie had prepared a larger variety of dishes than Leo had seen in most restaurants.

"This was going to be a victory party for the battle," he explained, "but we decided to wait until you faced Harry. Sorry if it's gotten cold."

"Wait, are you telling me you got me all riled up to make sure I'd win?"

Brad nodded, "Fighting mad isn't a smart thing to do, but it helped you catch Harry off guard, so it was an okay strategy this time. Of course, _next _time you need to listen to me and bet on the match. You can pay off your debts faster that way, right Bit?" Bit only growled and shoved some spaghetti in his mouth.

The meal continued on into the evening while the Hover Cargo moved towards the next battlefield on auto-pilot. Leena returned long enough to spoon up some food for herself, look down her nose at Leo, then hold that same nose up high as she marched out.

Doc chuckled. "I've never seen her this upset. You really know how to throw her off-balance."

The others were engaged in conversations/arguments, so Leo leaned closer to Doc and asked quietly, "Is it really okay for Leena to lead that Harry guy on like that?"

"Not really, but there's little I can do about it. Leena's not a child and is very strong willed. Not to mention that Harry doesn't know to stay away. Leena's always needed to be the center of attention, so she leads Harry on. Anyone except Harry can see that she doesn't have any interest in him, but she won't give up his worship. I'm waiting more on Harry to give up rather than for Leena to move on."

Leo rolled his eyes slightly. "I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. Why is she such an attention seeker?"

Doc sighed and looked pensive. "I think it has to do with the fact that Leena never knew her mother. Leon and I both love Zoids, so it was easy to find common ground with my son. But Leena's interest in Zoids isn't the same. She loves her Gun Sniper, but that's because its hers. I don't think she feels the same way as Bit and Leon. So it was harder for me to find ways to connect with Leena. I sometimes think her mother could have done a better job than I did."

"Something tells me she would have struggled just as much. Leena's the most explosive woman I've ever met."

That a got a chuckle. "You didn't know my wife. She was every bit as strong-willed as Leena. Maybe even more-so."

"A miracle you're alive, then."

"No, no. My wife was more restrained than Leena. She understood how to be strong but at the same time approachable. She was the most incredible woman." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a picture. Mrs. Toros had been an incredibly beautiful woman. Leena had indeed inherited most of her looks from her mother. The biggest difference was that Leena's mother had silky straight hair that was a shade or two darker than Leena's. Doc said, "My friend Laon would go crazy if he knew I carried this around with me. It's one of the few things I have to remember her by."

Leo frowned. "'Few things?'"

"My wife didn't own a lot of things. I remember the day we moved into our new home after our honeymoon. She barely had enough clothing to last a week and a half. And almost no jewelry. I was stunned (though maybe a little thankful. It made shopping for gifts a breeze)."

"How'd you two meet?"

Doc leaned back and smiled. He had that look of a romantic remembering his finest days. "I was messing around with my old friends, Laon and Oscar Hermeros."

"Jamie's father?"

"You got it. We were all best friends at the Zoids Academy, even though we all studied different fields. Laon studied Zoid power systems, I researched weapons upgrades and customizations, and Oscar learned to be a pilot. He was the original Wild Eagle."

"Was he a schizo too?" Leo glanced at Jamie, who was thankfully still distracted by Bit and Brad.

"No. He earned the reputation of the Wild Eagle and started the legend. Anyway, one of our favorite places to hang out was the Gentala Ruins. It was an abandoned excavation site; empty long before the end of the Helic-Guylos war and never reestablished. We could go there to tinker with units or test out flight models without any fear of interruption or supervision. We hid drinks in an old military bar. It was our secret getaway, a place where we could go to just be ourselves.

"One day, when we had been doing… something. One of those foolish kid things you forget after a while. We ended up blowing up a good chunk of the landscape, nearly blew ourselves up in the process. Oscar, being an impulsive fool at the time, went down, fell, and nearly broke his neck. Laon and I went down to rescue him, and we accidentally discovered a pair of capsules in the process."

Leo nearly spewed his drink. "C-capsules?" He flashed back to Eveopolis briefly.

"Yeah. There were two of them. One had apparently contained an Organoid, but the ceiling overhead had broken and crushed the pod long ago. There wasn't anything we could do for the Zoid. The other one was sealed tight. At that time, I knew a Professor who studied Ancient Zoidian technology. We contacted him discreetly and took him out to the sight so long as he promised never to tell anyone. We didn't want our hangout to become an excavation site again.

"We took the capsule back to the Academy late at night and that was the last we ever saw of it. As thanks, the Professor made sure we all received scholarships and we became assistants to very skilled teachers. I myself got to be the Professor's assistant. After a few months, he introduced me to his daughter, my future wife."

Leo grinned. That was one heck of a romance story. "So was it love at first sight?"

"Not really. She was very nice, a little naïve though. Laon was the one who really took an interest in her. She became the fourth member of our troupe. We even brought her to the ruins a few times. Laon eventually came to me and asked me to write her a love letter to her in his name. He never was very good with words. Neither was I. Oscar was the closest thing we had to a poet in our group. So I passed the task on to him, and he accidentally signed the love letter in my name, not Laon's."

"Waitaminute. You don't mean…"

"Yep. My soon-to-be wife fell in love with me because of a misprint, and I fell in love with her too. She came on a little too strong at first, but soon I just couldn't resist her. Laon was furious; thought I'd betrayed him and swore revenge. I've always been a little sad about that. He never attended the wedding. But if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Knowing what I know now, I'd have fought Laon tooth and nail for her."

"Nice." Leo grinned.

Doc returned the expression. "What about you? Are you planning to fight for my daughter?"

"What?"

"Come on, I see the way you look at her, and I've seen her looking you a few times over as well." He elbowed Leo lightly.

"Did Leena inherit her delusions from you?" Why was he so nervous suddenly. Sure, Leena was attractive. But Leo didn't want anything beyond friendship, especially when she kept playing him against other men to make herself feel important.

"You're a lot like I was, Leo." Doc sighed. "Let me ask you something, is Leena like any other girl you met?"

"I don't think she's like any other person in the galaxy." Doc seemed a little too pleased with that answer.

"And have you met a lot of girls?"

"I've wandered a bit. Met my fair share."

"What did you think of them? Does any one stand out?"

"Not really. After a while they all tend to blur together."

"What about Leena? Will she mix with the other women you've met, or will you remember her more clearly?"

"I'm going to try as hard as I can to _forget_ her." There, that ought to shoot Doc down.

"But will you?" Persistent.

"Probably not. She's too weird to forget."

Doc nodded. "Leo, I don't mean to intrude, but I see something happening between you and Leena that both of you are missing. I worry that she's being distracted by this Sen Vaez character. Not that I don't like my daughter dating the ZBC Chairman… but I'm not sure he's best for her. We barely know a thing about him."

"You don't know much about me either."

"I know that you keep your word and risk your own life to save other people. That's more than I know about this Vaez person." Doc placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. It was both assuring and alarming at the same time. "I'm not trying to tell you to compete for my daughter, but don't let her stubbornness or selfishness fool you. Leena can be a completely different person if you take the time to get to know her." The conversation ended with that. Leo ate in silence, glad that Bit and the others had been too distracted to eavesdrop. He sincerely doubted that he could compete with someone like Sen Vaez for Leena's affection, even if he wanted to.

Alteil was the first of many to be frightened. "You can't be serious!"

Vaez reclined as he looked in to the communication window. "I am very serious. You will execute my orders tomorrow night. Any delay will meet with punishment." He held up the small remote that would end Alteil's life. "You will obey."

"But… but you'll waste a whole division of Zoids, not to mention countless resources!"

"The Zoids that will be lost are insignificant, and the Backdraft will soon raid towns to replenish all that we have lost. Stop worrying about the plans, my puppet. That is my role. Your role is to follow my commands without fail. By this time tomorrow, I had better be dealing with a full-fledged crisis or you will find your body betraying you." He switched off the channel without awaiting a reply.

All things proceeded as planned. This would be the first blow of many that would eventually lead to the end of both Helic and Guylos. It gave Vaez great pleasure to see his grand design taking form, just as it gave him pleasure to receive a call from his future bride. Leena Toros had almost demanded to see him. Such impatience was truly flattering. It was good for her to desire him so; it would make the transition from popper to princess all the easier.

Vaez opened a set of files and scrolled through the data until he found Leena's measurements from her last battle costume fitting. He then crossed the data with several pictures recently taken. The ensuing data was the closest estimate he could gather on Leena's very fine figure. He shaved off an inch or two in just the right places, then forwarded the measurements to Vaez's personal assistant, who was instructed to provide several dresses. No budget, no limitations and only the finest. He would win Leena Toros in one night. Zi would follow soon after.

The gentle rapping at the door shouldn't have bothered Leo's sleep. Small noises like that didn't usually wake him. But for some reason he got up and went to the door. The Blitz Team had given him a room of his own, near the hanger. At first he thought they'd given him this room so he could get to work on their Zoids faster. Then he realized they'd given him this room to save him a long walk after tiring himself out on their Zoids. Unlike other teams, they didn't try to force Leo into the mechanic's role, the supported him. It seemed like such a small thing, but it was so crucial.

The door slid open. Leena smiled back at him. Not that mocking or teasing smile. She was more… sultry than usual, even the way she leaned against the wall. "Did I wake you?" Her voice was cool and even. None of the usual rage or selfishness Leo associated with her.

"Actually, yes. You need something?"

She reached up with a finger and traced it around Leo's chin. "Something, yeah." Leo wanted to recoil, but his body didn't move. Leena leaned closer, her breath warm on his face. "I was impressed by how you fought today. I think I may have been wrong about you."

"W-wait a minute… I… I…" Words failed him as Leena's lips pressed against his and her arms wrapped around his body. For a moment, Leo could feel the warmth of her skin and the sweet taste on her lips. Her body pressed closer to his, and he reached to draw her closer. They kissed for several moments before Leo picked her up and carried her towards his bed. She kissed him every step of the way. The bed seemed to grow to fit the two of them. He laid her down and reached for her -

Then he awoke in a cold sweat. Panting, he glanced around the room, confused. Reality caught up to him. The door was closed and no gentle rapping came from beyond. There wasn't a soul awake at this hour. Leena had gone to bed furious at him and would probably be the same way tomorrow.

What was he doing, dreaming about Leena? Damnit, this was Doc's fault! That little chat had screwed with Leo's head. Now instead of dreaming about beatings from those men in dark uniforms, he was having a hormone-filled fantasy about a woman who drove him insane!

Leo lay in bed for several minutes, and when he realized that sleep wouldn't return he got up, dressed, and went to work on Fang. There wasn't much work to be done now that the new components and weapons had been installed. Fang was better than before the Diloforce attack. Better than before when he and Leo had saved Leena's life. Better than when Leena had thanked him and apologized…

Shake it off, he told himself, don't think about her. Except now that was all he could think about. Leena was truly the most bizarre woman on Zi. He'd never met anyone who could waste ammo, attract trouble, manipulate men, and be so damn intriguing all at once. Doc had said that his daughter was a different person than she first let on. Leo thought he'd seen some of that once or twice when Leena brought him his dinner or came to save him from the Cannon Fort. That Leena impressed him. He admired her bravery and kindness.

Then there was the Leena who constantly bullied him and set up fights that had no importance except to stoke her ego. He did not like that Leena. Such polar differences, more of contrast than Jamie and the Wild Eagle. Leo tried hard not to dwell on which Leena was the real one while he tightened Fang's bolts and checked for any upgrades. That lasted all of fifteen minutes, not nearly enough time to calm down and focus on other things.

Leo had hoped to stick with small maintenance. Most injuries happened during overtime, when mechanics were tired and prone to making mistakes. But Leo was too nervous about falling asleep again, so he went to work on the Panzer. Repairing the armor would last well into dawn and beyond. It was the perfect task at first. But after a while Leo slipped into routine and his mind wandered. He began to think about Leena, about that dream, and about what might have happened if the dream had continued. Why was this bothering him? He'd had his share of dreams and fantasies before. It was part of the human condition, that instinct that half the world wanted to denounce as a sin and the other half didn't want to acknowledge. Leo didn't have an issue with having the occasional fantasy. He'd met quite a few good-looking women in various cities and towns.

But he'd always _left_ those towns before anything could develop. He'd lose sight of those girls as the people of that town faded from his memory. That wasn't the same with Leena, who was far too different to be forgotten, ever. He was trapped with Leena on the Blitz Team. Could he talk to her normally after dreaming about her? Would he blush ever time she looked at him? Gods of Zi, she'd be intolerable if she thought he had the hots for her. If you don't have the hots for her, why did you _dream_ about her, his mind asked. This was so insane.

"Hey there." A hand fell on his shoulder. Leo yelped and dropped his tools. "Whoa, easy." Bit Cloud motioned for quiet. "You'll wake the whole team."

"What are you doing up?" Leo demanded while hoping his face wasn't pure red.

"Couldn't sleep. Too psyched about today's battle!"

"You're joking." Wasn't being "psyched" supposed to happen _before_ a match?

"No way. When I think about how strong that Iron Kong was, I can't wait for a rematch! I want challenge them again!" Too bad the new season's rules forbade rematches. Leo didn't have the heart to tell Bit. It was obviously important to the Zoid Warrior, though Leo still didn't understand his excitement. "I can't sleep like this. I need to pilot the Liger a little. How's about a little practice run?" Good, something that would definitely keep his mind off Leena. Besides, Leo wanted to test Fang's new parts.

They exited the Hover Cargo the hard way. The catapult would have made too much noise, so instead they lowered the rear ramp just low enough to jump out. The metal door never touched the sand while the two Zoids jumped out and skidded on the desert sand. Just as Leo's teeth stopped rattling, he realized something. "Isn't it a bad idea to leave without telling anyone?"

"You think Jamie would let us go if we mentioned this?" Probably not. Leo could already envision his friend's face upon hearing that Bit, Leo, Zero, and Fang had disappeared. "You really want to cause Jamie that much grief?"

"Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, remember? Besides, we'll catch up to the Hover Cargo long before they wake up. It's the perfect scheme. Now, let's go!" Zero was already charging him.

Leo yelped and pressed Fang forward, barely dodging a swipe from the Liger's claws. "Sorry," said Bit over the comm. "I should have said something like, 'Ready… FIGHT!" He laughed. Such joy.

"Please," Leo rolled his eyes, "I'm so tired of hearing the judge's speech. _Anything _except that line!" He fired three shots from Fang's sniper rifle. The targeting was so much easier, and the range more than double the older laser cannons. This was the kind of firepower Fang had needed from the start. Too bad Bit was so good at evading. He would have liked to see what damage those shots could inflict.

The Liger Zero charged again, firing its shot cannon as it went. Leo managed to dodge the first two shots, but he quickly realized that Bit was missing on purpose. He almost jumped right into the third shot. Only Fang's new servos gave him the speed to duck down and let the round pass overhead.

"Nice," Bit complimented. "I guess you learned how to dodge from Leena." This was weird. Most Warriors got so serious and even angry during a fight. The adrenaline changed them into completely different people. Not so with Bit. If anything, he seemed happier behind the Liger's controls than he was on the ground. It unnerved Leo a little. Here they were, a Class S pilot and living legend having fun while the Class D nobody was feeling rather miserable. It was all Leo could do to keep from getting a Strike Laser Claw in the face. What was it about battling that appealed to Bit? Why was he so happy while everyone else became either stressed or frightening? These questions didn't help Leo's piloting at all.

The match continued with Bit holding complete dominance. It wasn't like the gauntlet run with the others. No special tricks this time, no surprise sand dunes or barrage cover. Bit was in total sync with the elements. Zero's feet seemed to move with the sand, turning it sharper than Leo thought possible. He couldn't keep up at all. Bit and Zero were a fluid torrent of white, rushing around him, towards him, and away. Then they swept back again, so fluid and quick he wasn't sure if he was actually moving at all.

Before Leo could collect himself again, he saw the Liger standing over him, its mane shimmering gold and its illuminated claw poised above Fang's cockpit. "Good match. I can't believe how hard it was to get you! You've really improved." When Leo said nothing, Bit's tone changed. "You okay? You're not mad, are you? I mean, this was just for fun."

"H… how can you be so happy?"

"Huh?"

"I just don't get it. You're giggling like a kid while firing off shots and slashing with Zero's claws. I've never seen anyone that happy in a fight."

Bit smiled over the comm monitor. "I can be serious in a fight, but not today. I love meeting strong opponents and testing myself against them. When I win, I feel this rush; like I'm getting stronger and stronger with each day. When I lose, I get mad, but I also have a new challenge, a goal that I can overcome. The only time I don't like fighting is when I think the Zoids suffer, like in Backdraft Battles." He was quiet for a moment. "What were you thinking about during our fight?"

"I was thinking of how I could _not_ die tonight."

Bit shook his head. "Liger and I were only focused on having fun." The Liger Zero roared as if agreeing with its pilot. "When I fired my shot cannon, your only focus was dodging, right?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't you?"

"I'd dodge, sure, but that wasn't my focus. If all your focused on is dodging my one shot, then you won't be ready to dodge the next shot, or the one after that. You gotta focus on a larger goal. In an official battle, me and Liger are all about winning the fight. Tonight, we were all about having fun. Once you have a big goal to focus on, all the small stuff comes easier. Even when you get hit, focus on winning and you'll be back on your feet in no time."

Leo was silent for a moment, trying to process this. He wasn't looking for a subject change, but something came up. "Uh, Bit. The Hover Cargo was on auto-pilot, right?"

"Yeah."

"And we were only going to fight for a little while and then catch up, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Where's the Hover Cargo now?" Both Fang and Zero looked around at the empty desert.

"Uh oh…"

At least he wouldn't have to deal with Leena right away.

Bad things happened to people who didn't listen to Alteil; and it was never his fault. He had told the Committee of Seven that the Liger Zero was an Ultimate X and should therefore be taken for the Backdraft's gain. They didn't listen and soon after the Liger Zero won the Royal Cup and crushed the Backdraft's ambitions.

He told the Count not to entrust Sarah with the Berserk Fury. He hadn't listened either. The Fury was now gathering dust in a ZBC hanger.

And he'd told that witch, Sarah, not to provoke the ZBC, not to shoot down their satellites, and _not_ to start a war with the strongest force on Zi! _She _didn't listen, and he was glad she was rotting a cell now!

Now the latest non-listener, far more aggravating than any before, wasn't listening to his warnings. "Don't provoke the ZBC now, in our weakened state!" He said. "Don't waste our resources! Don't charge in like a fool!" Vaez was a fool, and he didn't listen. Alteil hoped he'd pay for that soon.

How could that brat waste so many Zoids on one insignificant city? Alteil's eyes panned across the large hanger, filled with two types of Zoids and every manner of mechanic, pilot, and munitions expert preparing for the big day. The first Zoid was familiar to Alteil, and one of his favorites. At its highest, the Demantis could barely reach the Liger Zero's shoulder. The cannons protruding from its pincers were rather weak, and the gattling on its back could only inflict moderate damage. It's insectoid body was not that resilient, meaning that even a Command Wolf could crush it without much effort. Such a frail body meant it was cheap to produce, so the Backdraft made hundreds of them, planning to have the Demantis Zoids swarm across the ZBC ranks when the time came. It never did.

The second Zoid was a bit more expensive and Alteil wasn't as fond of it, but he was relieved that it wouldn't be sacrificed like the Demantis. The Glaive Quama was to be a support unit for the Zabats and a carrier for the Demantis. Its sleek, black and purple body reminded him somewhat of the Genosaurer, though its head was more dragon-based than Tyrannosaur. It featured a pair of wings that looked as if each one was assembled from seven blades each. Twin lasers were built into either shoulder, though offense was not this Zoid's forte. The Glaive Quama was a transport Zoid, meant to drop Demantis units behind enemy lines for a surprise attack. The retractable bar under its belly was more than adequate perch for the Demantis. Tomorrow night, the Quama would fulfill its role for the last time. Between the 100 loss of Demantis units, and the inevitable destruction of at least a few Glaive Quama, Alteil knew the Backdraft would suffer a tremendous financial blow, all because Vaez wanted to send "a message."

Yet when the deed was done, it would be Alteil's blood everyone called for. He would be the most wanted criminal, because he had been caught by the most lowly bastard on Zi. It just wasn't fair.

He wouldn't be in this position if people bothered to listen to him for a change.

The Hover Cargo was faster than Fang, so Bit charged ahead in Liger Zero and tried to flag down the transport. Leo could already envision Jamie lecturing them about slipping away without notice. "Did you even _think_ about what might happen if you missed the match? It's a four-on-four battle, and if we're shorthanded then we instantly forfeit!" Leo toyed with the idea of blaming it all on Bit, but decided he deserved a good share of the blame.

The Liger was up ahead, standing fixed in the desert. Leo frowned, the Hover Cargo was nowhere in sight. "Bit, what's wrong?"

"Liger's picking up the Hover Cargo's signal, but it's coming from the wrong direction." Leo checked his own sensors and confirmed Bit's own readings. If it had been just Fang's sensors picking up the Hover Cargo, Leo would have thought it a malfunction; but if Bit was picking up the same direction…

"Why would the go that way? It's not a shortcut, and it leads right through a judge tumult. That's a-"

"I know. That's the name people use for unnatural sandstorms. Those judge satellites kick up a lot of sand and dirt when they hit, so a few storms aren't a big surprise." Bit grinned, "You're not the only one who's wandered around for a while." The fierce sandstorms were the environmentalists' main issue with the ZBC. Most other people didn't mind since the Commission made sure they only dropped large numbers of judges around uninhabited areas that no one would miss. Leo could see the storm on the horizon, a tan cloud where the sky touched the ground.

"Well, better go see what's going on. Think the Liger can handle a storm like that?"

Zero growled and roared. He sounded offended. "Liger can handle anything. How about Fang?"

"He and I have been through more dust storms than baths. We'll be fine."

Bit frowned, "Are you serious? I really didn't need to hear that." Leo grimaced and led the way in. He couldn't help it if baths were less available than storms. Besides, he'd showered the day before so it wasn't like he was a walking cesspit.

They prepared their Zoids by covering any open ports or weapons barrels with emergency cloth, and coated the joints in a temporary solvent that would allow movement, but keep out most of the sand. Leo would have to give both Zoids a thorough cleaning after this. He then fished out a pair of goggles and a scarf from an emergency kit he'd assembled long ago. In case Fang's cockpit broke or he had to exit his Zoid for some reason, he'd be at least a little protected from the elements. Bit didn't have such a kit. "It's in my salvage truck. I didn't think I'd need to use it in the Liger." It wouldn't be a problem since the Liger's cockpit was more secure than Fang's. Satisfied that they were as ready as possible, the two set out into the storm.

The winds wrapped both Zoids in sand sooner than Leo had imagined. The swirling grains made radar almost useless, and the signal they tracked cut out periodically. It was stupid to go into this storm, even to meet with the rest of the team. Most people would advise to wait until the storm passed, but Leo figured that would take another ten years.

He paused when he felt the sand shift under Fang's paws. He signaled for Bit to halt, then fired a quick burst from the sniper rifle into the ground. The shot kicked up far more sand than it should, and the hole left by the blast was over several times larger than average. Here lay the cause of the storm. Craters left by judge capsule landings filled with sand quickly in a storm like this, but the sand itself was too loose to be a solid base to stand on. Stepping carelessly often meant sinking into your doom.

The pressed on, avoiding several more pits and getting closer to the Hover Cargo. A flash of red caught Leo's eye, though it was so brief he wasn't sure if he'd imagined it. He asked Bit to follow him towards the red. A small delay was okay, but leaving his companion would have been suicidal. The farther apart the two became, the greater the chance they'd lose each other for good.

The red, Leo soon learned, was a downed Redler. The dragon-styled Zoid was a mainstay of the Guylos air force, though this one looked to be a civilian model. Its wings had been reduced to scrap and most of its body was too battered to even resemble its true form. The Zoid core had taken damage, and it would soon die. Leo's heart clenched. Miraculously, the cockpit was in relative good order. A few cracks, but no place for the sand to seep in yet. That was very good, because Leo was reading one life sign on board. "Bit, someone's in there. I'm going to get him."

"Are you sure? It might be better to get some more help."

"We'd never find this Redler again, and I'm the only one with a spare set of survival gear."

"You have a spare?" Bit growled, "Why didn't you give it to me before we headed out?"

"To teach you a lesson. 'Always have survival gear on-hand.' I can't help it if you left your equipment in your truck." His grin was as big as Bit's frown. Leo grabbed the extra gear, along with a snap-on cable from behind his seat. Once outside, he clamped the cord around Fang's leg and tied the other end around his waist. He'd barely taken five steps away when the sand tried to devour him. The grains sifted under his feet and he began to sink up to his knees. Pulling on the cord as quickly as he could, Leo hauled himself back up to Fang's paw.

"Are you okay?" Bit's alarm was barely audible over the storm's winds. He probably had to crank up the Liger's speakers. Leo waved an affirmative and set out again, trying to step around the hidden pit. He was nearly swallowed two more times before he reached the Redler. Although he'd done everything he could to cover his body and seal off his clothing, he could still feel sand gathering in his boots and wearing at his skin. Gonna need a very long bath after this, Leo thought.

He couldn't open the cockpit without letting in a flood of sand. Instead, he rammed against a crack in the window that faced away from the storm winds. It took all his strength, and if there hadn't been a crack in the first place it would have been impossible. It finally gave and Leo was barely able to crawl inside. He looked for the pilot, hoping he was still alive.

Not he. She. A young girl, about Jamie's age, lay in the pilot's seat, unconscious. There was a nasty bump on her forehead. She had dark skin that contrasted greatly with her pure white hair. Leo had never seen someone like this before, and the way she dressed suggested that she was used to living in much colder climates. A helmet lay on the floor beside her, cracked in two. If not for that helmet and the Zoid's efforts, Leo had no doubt the girl would have far worse than a bump to worry about.

Leo climbed in and wrapped a cloth around her nose and mouth, then slid the goggles on. Her warm clothing was good for sealing off her body from the sand, though he'd have to get back to Fang fast. The belt harness was barely intact, so it wasn't hard to pull her out of it. Leo addressed the Redler. "I'm sorry I can't do anything for you. By the time I send a rescue crew, I don't think your core would survive. But you have my word that I'll protect your pilot. You saved her life, and I won't let it be for nothing." He could feel the Redler's contentment with that promise. It didn't care about its own life, only that of this young girl. She had to be a good person to inspire such loyalty in a Zoid.

The return to Fang was quicker than the first trip, but not by much. Leo couldn't trace his footsteps as the sand had already covered them up. He had a good memory of where the sand-traps lay, so he at least could avoid another fit of sinking. By the time he finally returned to his partner with the young girl, his skin felt like it was on fire and his breath was becoming shallow. He gasped for breath the moment Fang's cockpit closed. The girl had survived the trip, though she was still out cold.

"You okay in there?" Bit appeared on screen.

"I will be as soon as I get my breath back."

"Whoa, a girl!"

"Yep. She was piloting that Redler. Heck of a bump on her head. She'd be dead right now if not for her helmet and Zoid."

"What do you think happened?"

"I don't know. Her Redler was far too damaged for this to be a crash landing. Something hit that Redler, hard. We can figure out more if we get to the Hover Cargo."

Bit paused for a moment. "Leo, while you were coming back… the Redler's core died out."

Leo let out a heavy breathe. "I think it was happy to know its pilot would be safe. There wasn't anything we could have done."

"Yeah… let's get going." They resumed their course for the Hover Cargo. It was an uncomfortable ride. Fang was a one-seat Zoid, which meant Leo had to pilot with the girl in his lap. At less that several meters from the signal, she stirred. "Ohhh…"

"Hey, you're awake." Leo smiled, "Welcome back to the land of the living." She had beautiful, crystal blue eyes. They reminded him of a few lakes he'd seen in the mountains. Right now, those shinny eyes were staring at him, as big as a Gojulas' cannon barrel.

"AAHHH! Kidnapper!" She punched Leo in the nose.

"Ouch!"

"Let me go!" She began to squirm and kick, bashing Leo with her fists and elbows.

"Ow, hey, stop it!" Leo couldn't keep Fang steady and block the girl's assault at the same time."

"Leo!" Bit was back on the line. "What's going on? Are you under attack?"

"You could say that!" The girl elbowed him in the chest. "Stop it!" He hit the brake and grasped the girl's arms with his hands. "I am _not_ a kidnapper! I saved you from that downed Redler. We're on our way back to my team's transport so you can get some medical attention. If you don't want to come, you free to walk. But I wouldn't recommend it." He pointed out the cockpit to the swirling sand storm. The girl followed his gesture and settled down. She still eyed him with great suspicion and apprehension. Content that she wasn't trying to bash his brain in any more, Leo finished their trek to the Hover Cargo.

The transport Zoid was already wedged in the sand. It wouldn't be hard to move it out since it didn't rely on wheels for movement, but Leo couldn't understand why they'd stop in the middle of a storm.

"Calling the Hover Cargo. This is Leo. What are you guys doing out here?" Static was the only response. "Hover Cargo, do you read me?" Nothing. "This isn't good."

Bit called over, "I have a remote code to open the hanger. We can get in from the back.

Fang and Liger Zero entered through the rear hatch, accompanied by a small wave of sand that littered the hanger floor. The white-haired girl jumped out of Fang before the cockpit could fully open and stood a fair distance away from Bit and Leo. "I guess we should introduce ourselves first. My name's Leo and this is-"

Bit wore a confident smile. "I'm sure you've heard of me: Bit Cloud, Class S warrior and winner of the Royal Cup."

"… No."

So much for that smile. "Really? You've never heard of me?"

"Never." Bit wilted before the truth.

Leo couldn't help but grin. "Now that you've destroyed my friend's ego, how about telling us your name?" The girl didn't answer. "Please, I need to know your name if I'm going to help you. Like I said, we're _not_ kidnappers. We're a Zoids team."

"… Yuki." An odd name. Leo wasn't sure he'd heard that anywhere.

"Where are you from, Yuki?" No reply. Both Bit and Leo shrugged and escorted Yuki into the main hallway.

Bit keyed in the intercom. "Hey, what's going on?" More static. Both men frowned. There were no signs of attack or struggle, but for the intercom to be down…

"Stay close, Yuki." Close for her was roughly five feet from either Bit or Leo. "Yuki, what happened to you and your Redler?" She still didn't reply and the Blitz Team men weren't in the mood to press for answers. There were already enough mysteries here at home.

Down the hallway, Leo could hear a small banging coming from a locked door. He motioned for Bit to stay behind with Yuki. Creeping was one of the specialties he'd developed back in the base with the dark men. Some nights he could sneak down the hallway without raising a soul. He'd tried to escape several times by sneaking out before he had met Fang. Each time he'd made it outside, but the desert had been too far a trek, and the angry men always found him, then beat him. He had mastered stealth as well as any boy could, and had continued to use it as he grew older.

He was at the door without having made a sound the entire way. Whoever was on the other side was in for a very rude surprise. The lock was active from the outside, so Leo could open the door with the push of a button. He did so and the door slid open. Jamie came tumbling out, wrapped in rope from head to toe, and landed on his belly.

"Jamie!" Bit ran to his friends side. Yuki stood back, horrified.

"I knew it! You _are_ kidnappers!"

"For the last time," Leo said as he tried to steady the frantically thrashing Jamie, "we're not kidnappers. Our friend Jamie is tied up because… because… Jamie, why in the world are you tied up?"

"No time! Hurry up and untie me! Now, now, now!" Something really bad must have happened. Leo could already see Leena and the others tied up or carried off by some marauding bandits or Backdraft remnants. He reached for the nearest knot-

"Stop right there!" Leena had materialized before them. "Don't you dare let him loose!"

Bit and Leo exchanged confused looks, then turned towards Leena. "So, I guess this means you haven't been kidnapped?"

"Kidnapped? What made you think that?"

"I dunno, maybe the fact that Jamie's bound up and locked in a room? I guess on most teams that'd be suspicious."

Leena growled, "Don't get smart with me. Where have you two been? Do you have any idea what trouble you've caused? We could lose the next match because of you!"

Bit retorted, "We're not the ones who tied up Jamie and sunk the Hover Cargo in the middle of a sand storm. What were _you_ thinking?"

"I didn't do anything! Jamie's the one who got us stuck out here. We had to tie him up because he hijacked the Hover Cargo!"

Leo looked at the accused. "You want to explain _any_ of this? I'm completely lost."

"Ohhh… My Pterraaaasss!" Jamie whimpered.

"Pteras?" Yuki spoke up. "Are you the monster's pilot?"

"Who is _that_?" Leena pointed a finger at the girl she'd only just now noticed. Yuki looked poised to either run for freedom or pass out.

Leo tried to keep his voice even so she didn't attempt either option. "This is our friend, Yuki. We found her in a wrecked Redler and brought her here. I'm trying to convince her that we're not mean or violent people, and you're not helping right now."

"Uh… hi." Jamie had snapped out of his mania and now had a blush on his face. Leo grinned when he noticed a small hint of red along the girl's face as well.

Leena looked between her teammates and the newcomer. "All right, fine. Grab Jamie and follow me up to the bridge. But _don't _untie him." They did as ordered and rode the lift up. It was perhaps the most awkward ride Leo had experienced. He and Bit stayed close to Jamie while Leena leaned against the wall, glaring at all of them. Yuki huddled behind Jamie. He was apparently the most trustworthy of the group, seeing as he was at their mercy. Leena explained on the way. "We'd just gotten up and noticed that you two were gone, along with your Zoids. So he stopped and tried to pick up your signals. Next thing we know, Jamie's locked us out of the cockpit and is piloting this Hover Cargo right into the middle of a judge tumult! We tried to call him on the intercom, but all he did was cry about his Pteras."

"My Pteras!" Jamie moaned. "I'm so close."

Leo sighed. "_What_ Pteras?"

Bit explained, "Jamie used to pilot a Pteras Bomber Unit before Doc sold it and bought the Raynos. Jamie really loved that Zoid and he took the loss pretty hard."

"Doc sold Jamie's Zoid?"

Now Bit was a little weepy. "You see what kind of a man he is? He'll sell and buy anything because he thinks it's all his. Then he'll trick you into signing to pay for a CAS system that you can't afford and-"

"Get over it, Bit." Leo and Leena spoke in unison, stared at each other in surprise, and glared. Leo realized he should be nervous around Leena after that dream, but given everything that was happening, one dream didn't carry much weight.

The bridge looked as if it'd been the target of a ZBC raid. The lock on the door had been burned through, and large portions of the console were ripped out or re-wired.

Doc was leaning over the side of the pilot's controls with a tool clenched in his teeth and wires coiled around his arms. Brad sat at a nearby computer, typing furiously. He glanced up long enough to say "Welcome back," then returned to his duties.

Leena, Leo, and Bit exited the lift. "What happened here?"

"Jamie happened." Doc sighed. "He locked the auto pilot to follow some kind of signal, then sealed off the bridge and started scanning the radar."

Brad said, "We've almost got everything unlocked, but it'll be another half-hour. After that, we're going to have to head straight for the battle site if we want to make it on time. Repairs will have to wait."

Leo frowned. "Why would Jamie do this?"

Leena cracked her knuckles, "I think it's time for an explanation. Jamie-HEY!" Jamie wasn't there. Neither was Yuki, and the lift door was sealed. Leena hit the down button. A red light flashed on the panel. "Locked." She snarled.

A few moments later, they could hear the catapult door at the top of the Hover Cargo open, and the Raynos rocketed into the air. "Great…" Leo was starting to wonder if he'd ever have a normal day with this team.

Author's Note: Yuki is based off a character I saw on the Zoids Web Comic. I saw her piloting an Iron Kong Yeti. Unfortunately, I think the Web Comic is a thing of the past for the most part. She won't be a prominent character, but she will have a big impact on the story.

Until next time, thanks for reading and a review is always welcome.


	14. Desert Flower City

Battle Dawn

Chapter Fourteen: Desert Flower City

by Silver

Author's Note: Long time no type, eh? I have been busy, and (as usual) my fan fic suffers because of it. Writing would be so much easier if I didn't have a life.

I want to thank all of you once again for your patience, reviews, and support in this story. Knowing that there are people who are actually reading my works is a big motivator to hit that keyboard, even though I sometimes feel like doing nothing.

Some people have commented that the formatting of my chapters is all screwed up. I think undoes all my indentations and spacing. I've tried to correct it for this chapter, but please let me know if the format is off (like you can't tell when the story shifts scenes right away). Thanks for reading, and now on with the chapter…

"Vengeance!" Harry Champ, a man allegedly destined to be king, thrust his bandaged fist into the air. "I demand vengeance!"

"Hold still!" Benjamin used his extendable arm to pull Harry's limb back down. "You're lucky you didn't break something in that tumble. Don't go looking for trouble so soon after having a wreck." The Champ Team had retreated to Desert Flower City to patch up Harry's wounds. He'd hit his head and bruised his arm in several parts while fleeing the Blitz Team's new member. They'd bought a room in one of the ritziest hotels available, naturally. Plush carpeting, hot tub, large furniture, and a fully-stocked kitchen. Nothing less for a man destined to be king.

Sebastian shook his cylindrical head. "Honestly, Harry, how many times is this girl going to land you in recovery? You just got of the hospital and we're already patching you up again. You humans aren't as efficient at self-repair as we robots, and it's not like we have a lot of time to spare. We need to talk to a few ZBC officials if we're going to get into this season." The Champ Team had missed the registration deadline due to Harry's recovery. Now they'd have to talk to some of the officials that owed Harry's father a favor.

"Both of you be quiet!" Harry stood up, knocking over the medical supply table and nearly toppling Benjamin. "How can you expect me to even consider Zoid battles when yet another ruffian is making advances on my Leena?"

"I keep telling you, for her to be 'your' Leena, she'd have to return your affections."

Benjamin took his place beside his counterpart. "That woman's got ice for blood and stone for a heart when it comes to you. Give it up, Harry."

"NEVER! The moons could fall and the sun grow cold, but my love for Leena will burn bright for all eternity!" Both Benjamin and Sebastian cross-referenced Harry's dialog with their literary databases, trying to determine where he'd learned such ridiculous prose.

"Excuse me?" A knock from the door and a female voice. Harry frowned and motioned for his robots to answer the door. They had not ordered room service; though Harry had been thinking about fillet minion or lobster for dinner. A young woman stood in the hallway, her hands clasped nervous in front of her. She was a Zoid Warrior, given the battle costume she wore. The blue and pink of her top swirled into heart patterns on her chest and just above her white skirt. She wore similarly designed knee-high boots. Her hair was a light, creamy brown and her green eyes didn't dare look anyone in the eye. She actually bowed to the robots. "I-I'd like to speak with Mr. Champ, if I may."

Harry motioned for her to come in. "I'm Harry Champ."

"Oh my. Are you all right?"

Harry was suddenly very self-conscious about his bandages. "Why this is nothing! A mere paper cut for the king!" Both robots groaned with exasperation. Not a small feat when they didn't have any lungs.

The girl's sigh was one of relief. "Oh, thank goodness! I was so concerned that I wouldn't get the chance to meet with you!"

Harry put on his best grin. "Ah, so you have heard of my exploits and come to bask in my glory, eh?"

"Um… n-no, that's really not my reason." Harry wobbled a bit.

Sebastian broke in, "Now hold on a minute! You haven't even introduced yourself or explained how you knew Harry was here."

The girl bowed again, "Yes, I'm sorry. My name is Elizabeth, but most of my friends call me Lizzy. One of my friends works here and saw you had checked in. She told me about it because she knew I'd been trying to contact you for some time."

Harry frowned, "Really?"

"Y-yes. I've tried e-mailing you, but apparently all my messages were filtered out as spam. I couldn't get your vid-phone frequency either, and your base is too far away for me to reach on land. It's been very hard to contact you. I'm sorry if I sound like a stalker. I'm not, really!"

"Uh, okaaay… But why have you been trying to contact me?"

"Because… because…" The girl, Lizzy, blushed and bowed her head yet again. "I would very much like to join your team, Mr. Champ."

"Lifts spoil you." An old tech had once said. "They make you forget how big these Hover Cargos can be. Just try to crawl through one when you're in a hurry; then you'll appreciate 'em." Leo had heard that nugget of wisdom during one of his many temporary mechanic jobs. It was ringing especially true now. The access paths winding throughout the Hover Cargo's body were just large enough to fit one person, often climbing up or down. This was both a convenience and a safety measure. Larger access-ways meant less room on the actual decks, so people preferred to keep the mechanics and techs cramped up while people strolled about on their nice, open floors. It was also smart in case an invading force tried to use the crawlspaces to invade the bridge without accessing a lift. Easier to take out a group of people traveling in a line than a mass of invaders at once.

Either way, the narrow spaces made for a very arduous journey, and Leo was low on time. The Hover Cargo was just beginning to roar to life while Leo emerged into the hanger. Fang waited impatiently on his platform. "Sorry to keep you waiting." He knew his partner expected him to pursue Jamie and Yuki. "Let's get moving."

"Wait!" Leena emerged from the crawlspace as well. Leo hadn't even known she was following him. "Just where do you think you're going?"

"After Jamie, what else? I'm going to launch as soon as we're out of the judge tempest."

Leena's metallic pigtails stood straight up in anger. "Are you nuts? You can't go off again! We need you here. The Zoids haven't been fixed from the last fight, and we can't afford to wait around. We'll barely make the deadline now!"

Leo regarded the remaining Zoids. "You guys didn't take any serious damage in the last fight."

"Bit's Liger has sand in all of its joints! How can he move around with that stuff grinding in the Liger's gears?"

"He's a great pilot, he'll manage. You can get through one more fight without me. I'll find Jamie and Yuki, figure out what's going on, then meet with you guys before the next battle. Just go ahead without me." He climbed into Fang.

Leena didn't let up. "Why do you even have to go after those two? If Jamie's so set on getting left behind, we shouldn't have to worry!"

"I'm not worried about Jamie being on his own. He's more competent and mature than most members of this team." Especially you, Leena.

"So it's the girl then? She didn't look like she wanted your help anyway!"

"She's with Jamie, so I'm not worried about her being in good hands either."

Leena looked ready to throttle him. "Then why are you going out there!"

Leo sighed. "Yuki's Redler was shot down by something so powerful, it nearly tore the Zoid apart. She mentioned 'a monster' when she heard about Jamie's Pteras, remember?"

"So _that's_ why you're abandoning your team? Because some girl you only just met mentioned a monster? You said it yourself, she's with Jamie. He can take care of her!"

Leo regarded her coldly. This was the Leena he didn't like. "Do you think Vaez or anyone at the Rarehertz base took that attitude when you and I were stuck in the Valley of the Rarehertz?" That made Leena flinch a little. "I'm going to make sure Jamie and Yuki are okay, and confirm whether or not this monster exists. You can leave me behind or take me off the team if you want, but people are a lot more important than Zoid Battles. I'm launching." The platform ascended, leaving Leena below. He waited until Bit signaled they'd left the judge tempest. Now there was nothing to slow him down. "Fang, GO!" The Command Wolf rocketed off the catapult and on to the desert. He ran off on the Raynos' last confirmed path. Nothing like a good monster hunt to make an already weird life even stranger.

This was awkward. _Very_ awkward. Jamie hadn't counted on ever having a passenger in the high speed Raynos. Now he had a cute girl sitting on his lap with her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. He'd never met anyone as pretty as Yuki. The contrast between her hair and skin was amazing. And those pure eyes. Just looking at her reminded him of trips to Mount Iselina; where everything looked white and pure in the winter.

"Your piloting is very tense." said Yuki. "Is something wrong?"

"Um… n-no. Hey, I never really introduced myself. I'm Jamie Hemeros."

Yuki smiled. "And I am Yuki Summit. Thank you for getting me away from those strange people."

Jamie smiled. "I should thank you for untying me." No, wait. He shouldn't leave it at that. "Um, I know my friends back there are a little weird, but they're not bad."

Yuki nodded. "That red-haired girl scares me."

"She scares everyone, even her own teammates." Jamie laughed nervously, "But she's really a nice person."

"I know that the men who rescued me were good people but… I don't trust strangers. I've lived in my village all my life. I'd never met anyone from beyond our village; and when people from the outside _did_ come they… they…" tears welled up in her eyes.

"You don't have to say anything." Jamie tried to be reassuring.

Yuki smiled slightly. "Jamie, even though I don't usually trust strangers, I think you are very good and that I can rely on you. That's why I asked you to take me away from the others. I need to get to the nearest town or city. After that, I can try to buy a new Zoid and move on from there. I won't trouble you any longer."

"It's no trouble, really." Jamie smiled. Besides, he wasn't planning on going back to the Blitz Team until he found his Pteras. That gave him pause. He'd hijacked the team's transport, sabotaged it, and left them stranded. They'd be safe from the storm inside the Cargo's strong armor, but they might miss their next match. He knew he might not have a team to return to.

I can't give up now, he thought. Not when my Pteras is so close. "One question, what kind of Zoid do you want to buy?"

"Well, my family owned a Redler, and I learned to pilot it as soon as I was able. But I think I'd like to buy another flying Zoid. Maybe a Raynos like yours."

"That'd be hard. Raynos are pretty rare and expensive."

"Really?" Yuki reached into her pocket and fished out a small purse. Inside were several gold bars. "Would this cover the cost?"

Jamie's eyes widened. He'd never seen anyone carry around gold bars before. "Where did you get those?"

"This is my family's savings. I had to take it with me after… after the strangers came."

Jamie counted the bars and tried to convert them to standard currency. "That's a good amount of money, but it probably wouldn't buy a Raynos."

"It wouldn't? Oh no. I knew I should have conserved more."

"'Conserved?' Wait, you had _more_ than this?"

"Yes, but I had to pay for food, and fuel, and sometimes I had to buy maps because I do not know much of the area around my home. I have never traveled this much before." Something was wrong.

"How many bars did you start out with?"

"Ten." One bar of gold should have sustained Yuki for at least a year. The truth was so cruel that Jamie didn't dare mention it. People had taken advantage of her. It made Jamie clench the controls even tighter until he thought they would break.

"Yuki, where do you come from?"

"I…"

"I can't help you out unless I know more about you."

Yuki was silent for a long while. Jamie could tell it had been a long time since she trusted anyone. "I grew up in the eternal-snow mountains of Nyx."

"_Nyx_? Then what are you doing in Europa?"

"I was flying home in my family's Redler after practicing piloting. Since the first wars between Guylos and Helic, my family has been charged with dropping off minerals we mined to Zoid factories on Nyx. My father was the latest in our line to inherit the roll. Using our Redler, he would carry our product beyond the mountains and would then transport the payment back to our homes. He was the only member of our village to see the outside world. I was to assume that duty when my father grew too old, so I was trying to learn as soon as I could. But when I got back…" More tears in her eyes. "When I returned, my village, which had been my entire world since the day I was born, was in flames, and all the people missing."

"Oh, no. Oh, Yuki, I am so sorry."

"I looked for my friends and family, but there weren't any bodies or signs that people had been in the fire. There were tracks in the snow from both Zoid and trucks. I think someone kidnapped my people for some reason. I managed to follow the trail to Europa and I'm sure I was getting close. But then I was attacked and-"

The Raynos' sensor beep cut her off. Reluctant to let the subject change, Jamie checked the reading. It was the signal he'd been looking for! The signal of his Pteras! After all this time, he was finally close to reclaiming his Zoid! At first he was elated, but that quickly changed to conflict. Yuki needed to get to the nearest city ASAP so she could follow her family's kidnappers. But he might never have another chance to find his Zoid. What should he do?

"Jamie, what is that signal?"

"It's a special tracker I set up to hone in on my Pteras. I found it earlier when I was scanning for my friends and… well, I went a little crazy and that's how I wound up being tied up." He blushed.

"Jamie, the signal is coming straight towards us." It was, and coming much faster than it should. No Pteras could match those speeds. "Jamie," Yuki was trembling." We should run. Y-you can't face that monster."

"My Pteras isn't a monster!" Jamie knew he shouldn't sound offended, but this was his Pteras they were talking about.

"NO! You don't understand. It's not a normal Pteras, and we need to run, now!" The signal was closer now, almost in visual range. Jamie scanned the skies where it should be appearing. He saw something, but it wasn't a Pteras. It couldn't be a Pteras.

"What is that?" It was easily as big as a combat-designed Hammerhead, maybe a little bigger. Jamie wasn't sure if he should classify it as a dragon or something different. It's head was vaguely like the legendary Earth monster, but it had no front legs, It looked like a biped. Its massive wings glowed with the power of an anti-grav field. Perhaps Yuki mistook it for Pteras because of the triangular holes in the wings.

The Raynos detected several types of weaponry on this approaching monster. Twin missile pods on its back, dual-barrel laser cannons on the wings, and a pair of heavy-grade cannons slung from its belly. Jamie couldn't understand how something that massive could fly at high speeds, nor did he understand why his sensors were picking up the Pteras' signal. Yuki's idea about running was sounding pretty good right now.

Jamie swung the Raynos around and headed away from the oncoming mystery Zoid. With its smaller frame and strong engine, the Pterosaur Zoid would have no trouble outrunning the newcomer. Then Jamie's warning alarm sounded, and he knew he'd overestimated the Raynos' speed.

That thing back there was too slow to catch them. Its missiles were another matter. One large projectile, easily half as long as the Raynos' wing, flew along their belly and exploded. Jamie and Yuki screamed as the shockwave hurled them backwards, spinning the Raynos around its nose. Jamie reached forward against the thrust of their fall and pulled back on the Raynos' stick with all his might. He didn't understand why the spirit of the Wild Eagle hadn't asserted itself yet. Maybe Jamie knew that a beginner like Yuki couldn't survive the maneuvers his alter-ego performed, or maybe Jamie just didn't want her to see him as a different person. Leo wasn't too far off thinking that his condition was a split personality. There were times Jamie wondered if he wasn't really insane. He'd certainly lost it when he'd detected his Pteras' signal.

That still begged the question, why was that thing registering as a Pteras? The implication was obvious, but Jamie just couldn't fathom it. It couldn't be true. That thing was faster than a Pteras, and definitely stronger. It swooped in with its two massive feet outstretched and kicked its falling prey. The Raynos bounced against the sand, which mercifully absorbed a good deal of the impact. It was still functioning, though a few more hits like that and Jamie doubted they'd be able to fly again. Still laying prone on the ground, Jamie fired the tail-mounted lasers. The barrage forced back their assailant long enough to get the Raynos back on its feet and in the air.

This new enemy outclassed the Raynos in power and weaponry. The only advantage for Jamie was the Raynos' speed, and that was handicapped by Yuki's presence. People didn't appreciate the strain high-speed battles placed on pilots. Accelerations could often lead to black-outs. Even the best pilots still suffered gray-outs. Sudden acceleration could cause blood to clot behind the eyes, leading to temporary blindness. Jamie couldn't force that on Yuki, who was still learning to pilot the far slower Redler.

What am I going to do? Jamie fought against his own panic while avoiding more attacks and retaliating with a few of his own.

The monster Zoid swooped down at them again, weaving around Jamie's shots. It was about to strike at them with its feet once more when suddenly a single shot cut the space between them, forcing the aggressor back again. A white Command Wolf stood defiant on the sand, its sniper rifle already taking aim. "Run, Jamie." A familiar voice ordered and Jamie didn't hesitate to obey.

"What the hell _are_ you?" Leo wasn't sure if Fang's ID computer was reading this right. That thing was giving off a Pteras' signal, but if that was a Pteras then Leo would have to double-check his eyes, assuming he survived this.

The mystery Zoid was now totally fixed on Fang. Just as intended. The Raynos could be clear of the battle zone in under a minute if Jamie pushed it. All Leo had to do was distract this thing. Focus on one large goal, Bit had said. Well, his goal was to prevent this thing from harming anyone else. If that meant shooting it down, fine. He'd find out who had created it after he fixed it.

The creature opened up with the cannons on its belly. Fang barely dodged before the shots created two mini-craters in the landscape. All that sand from the judge tempest was grinding into Fang's joints. The friction was slowing them down considerably. Not a good thing when going up against an aerial opponent.

Another two bursts just barely missed but the shockwaves from both rocked Leo in his seat. He retaliated with two shots of the sniper rifle. One shot struck the Zoid's shoulder, the other passed through the triangular opening on its wing. Of all the stupid luck.

That first shot managed to stagger the creature, so Leo charged in with Fang's jaws and latched on to the throat of the enemy Zoid. Now it could use its cannons without causing serious damage to itself. The monster thrashed and screeched, but did not use its weaponry. Instead, it began ascending straight up. Not a good idea. Leo grinned and released Fang's bite before they were too high up to take damage. On the way down, he let loose two more shots and struck the belly-mounted cannons. Both became scrap.

The now damaged Zoid evaded the remaining shots and swooped around. Its wing-mounted blasters were much weaker than the rest of its arsenal. The rapid-fire patter was probably used for air-to-air combat. Leo managed to evade most of the shots, but several struck Fang's shoulder when the sand caused movement problems again.

Suddenly, the large Zoid curved upright and hovered over Fang by a few feet. Not sure what the pilot was planning, Leo readied to press the fire button. Red-hot flames leaped from the other Zoid's mouth, raining down on Fang like a mini version of the Great Calamity. Fang managed to dodge the worst of it, but the temperature in the cockpit rose considerably. If it got too hot, Leo might pass out and then they'd really be in trouble.

Take him out while he's finishing his fire attack, Leo's instincts urged him. Too bad the pilot wasn't waiting. The flying monster dove forward while still spewing flames. The wind forced the fire back upon its caster, burning the Zoid's body as it moved. There was indeed a monster here, but now Leo knew it wasn't the Zoid itself.

The cruel maneuver succeeded in closing the gap between Leo and his mystery opponent. The larger Zoid's long neck and beak found their mark in Fang's side and knocked him to the ground. Leo was still trying to focus his eyes from the tumble while the air-born Zoid took aim with its missile rack.

"Strike Laser Claw!" A blue flash shot past and the Zoid's missiles exploded in their launch tubes. The Zoid itself screamed under the heat of the blast, far more intense than the flames that had scorched itself. Liger Zero Jager skidded to a halt on the desert sand. "Leo, are you okay?"

He was speechless, actually. He'd seen the Jager in many fights, including the Royal Cup tournament; but seeing it in real life was something completely different. The simple-looking Liger Zero now looked far more fearsome with its blue, streamlined armor and the twin ion boosters mounted atop its back. The attacking Zoid was less impressed and lunged at Bit immediately after recovering. The Jager jumped to the side and activated its boosters, thrusting it even further away. The moment it landed, Bit sent his Liger into another booster-augmented jump and dodged another assault,

Leo couldn't understand why Bit was hopping around like a bunny, but it was buying him time to get Fang back on his paw. It was not easy to stand upright again with the sand burning Fang's joints.

Wait, the Liger must have the same problem, yet it wasn't slowed in the least. That's when Leo understood Bit's actions. He was jumping and using his boosters as a means of avoiding the enemy's attacks. By relying on the boosters for movement, Bit put the minimal amount of strain on the Liger's joints and avoided most of the sand friction. Amazing.

Once Fang was upright again, he resumed firing on the enemy. Leo was pleased when several of his shots struck home, but the ensuing explosion was far too large for his own weapons, and why were there more explosions suddenly?

Ballistic the Gun Sniper and Shadow the Shadow Fox stood on top of the nearest sand dune, bombarding their target with a mixture of laser and conventional weaponry. The outnumbered mystery Zoid managed to weave past the fire and ascended, then turned and disappeared into the waves of clouds. Leo looked in amazement at the other Zoids. "What are you guys doing here?"

Bit laughed. "That's a weird way to say thank you."

Ballistic and Shadow joined the group. Leena snarled over the comm. "We came to get you because we knew you'd end up in a situation like this!"

Bit was still chuckling. "Don't let her fool you, Leo. Leena's the one who insisted we go back." Leena's growl was her only defense. Bit shut up when he noticed Ballistic's arsenal was pointed his way.

Brad was coldly silent, turning his Zoid around and moving towards the incoming Hover Cargo. Leo realized that the Blitz Team now had no hope of reaching the battle site on time. They'd lose by default. He'd have to stay out of Brad's way for a while.

"Leo," Doc called over the comm. "Did you find Jamie?"

"Yeah, but he got away when that weird Zoid attacked. He's not hurt."

"Good. Knowing Jamie, he'll head for the nearest city to make repairs and re-supply. We should do the same. Everyone into the Hover Cargo. We're heading for Desert Flower City!"

Six hours to hell. The minutes ticked away Alteil's slim ray of freedom. He already feared for his life because of one man, but soon he'd fear an entire world. Thousands of voices would soon howl for his blood, demand his head, and plan how to display his corpse. Every government claimed civility, but Alteil knew that with enough pushing, any mass of people could become a savage mob.

Far below, armed guards supervised the labor force as they tuned up the air fleet while the demolitions teams finished hardwiring the explosives into the Demantis units' cores. Alteil knew that this would push the entire planet over the edge. He would have nowhere to escape. If only he could get a warning out, gain some kind of disclaimer. "It wasn't my fault! I was being coerced! I didn't even plan the attack. I'm not responsible!" But even then there would be people who would denounce him for not "nobly" sacrificing his life to save others. Such an easy thing to say when one did not have to actually endanger one's own life. Why should Alteil put himself on the line for a mass of strangers? Yet he would become a criminal because of all those strangers. All those dead strangers. It wasn't fair.

The hanger alarm sounded and the gates opened. The Salamander, jokingly nicknamed the "Pteramander," swooped in and nearly collapsed onto the hanger floor. Scorch marks laced its chest and neck and the wings trembled while they sagged to the hanger floor. It's weapons systems were practically unrecognizable. The pilot all but catapulted himself out of the cockpit and tossed his helmet to a tech. "Clean 'er up for me, will ya?"

Alteil felt a vein bulge. "Raid!" Of all the damn annoying names. The minute Alteil shouted at the newly returned pilot, several techs ducked down to dodge the expected gunfire. Moments like this made Alteil wonder if the Backdraft had failed simply because the lower ranks were all idiots. Why couldn't Raid's parents have named their child something simpler? Alteil didn't have a problem with many names besides Sen Vaez, Bit Cloud, and Stigma Stoller. And now Raid.

The cocky youth smiled at him. "Hope you liked my dramatic entrance." He ran a hand through his spiky, short brown hair. Raid was a new addition to BD. He'd only joined a few weeks before the Royal Cup. Raid had been the unlucky victim of the Tigers Team's new weather-control devices, cooked up by Dr. Laon. The Tigers had used lightning to short out Raid's Storm Sworder, costing him the match. After the Blitz Team ended the Tiger's charade, Raid had filed a complaint with the ZBC and demanded his loss be void because the other team had cheated. But the Blitz Team had destroyed most of the evidence and Laon took back the rest of his equipment, so Raid had no case.

His dreams shattered by cheaters, Raid did the only smart thing: he'd cheated himself. He joined the Backdraft and won many unofficial battles that yielded wealth and respect. A shame that success had also made him insufferably cocky.

"What have you done to the Salamander?" demanded Alteil.

"Okay, it was like this. I'm out over the desert, having a little fun with that annoying Redler that'd been chasing our labor force all the way from Nyx. I finally downed the little gnat and was on my way back when I spotted a Raynos."

_Raynos_? Another vein bulged. "I decided to have a little more fun and play with the Zoid. You know, show it what a _real_ aerial Zoid can do."

"And that is how you managed to burn our newest Zoid?"

"No, that came later. I was just about to finish it off and call it good when this really old Command Wolf starts shows up and butts in, so now I gotta deal with some ground-pounder who thinks he can take me. The burns are from a little maneuver I had to pull. Stupid flames don't shut off fast enough."

"Did you at least get rid of the Raynos?"

"Chicken flew off while I took care of that old clunker. Then, these weird Zoids pop out of nowhere and I decide to call it a day."

"'Weird Zoids?' Was one of them a white liger?"

"It was blue with these really big boosters. Hopped around like it was tryin' ta fly. As if it could take over my sky." Raid laughed. Alteil did not.

The Blitz Team. Again. How did they always manage to pop up at the worst possible moment? Alteil's first hope was that they might thwart Vaez's plans and spare him the planet's wrath. But even if they did succeed, he'd end up shouldering the blame. Besides, failure meant punishment; and Vaez was far too happy to hold that switch to Alteil's heart. Damn it all. Why did all this have to happen to him?

"Raid, I want you running escort for the operation tonight. Destroy any opposition, understand?"

"You got it, boss." The brat spun on his heel and whistled back to his Zoid. He'd terrorize the techs for the next six hours, forcing them to repair his Zoid to beyond perfection. Maybe there'd be some good news tonight. Either Raid would kill a few of the Blitz Team's members, or they'd shoot him down and that would be the last Alteil would ever have to see of that punk with a dumb name.

Leo found the best service spot available. Prime location, good tech staff, low cost. "It's the same everywhere." Leo just shrugged. That didn't stop Doc from being grateful. With several Zoids now in desperate need of maintenance and a team member gone rogue, the Blitz Team couldn't waste money. Doc was still trying to puzzle out Jamie's motives while he issued instructions.

"Bit, I want you to help me oversee the Zoid maintenance. We need to make sure every particle of sand is cleaned out of the Zoids' joints and the Hover Cargo's components. Brad-" Brad was already gone. "Uh, right… Leo, Leena, I want you two to go search around for Jamie."

"Us?" Leo frowned. "Shouldn't I help with the repairs and all that?"

"You seem to know your way around cities, so I want you to figure out where Jamie might go. Leena, I'm counting on you to talk—I repeat—_talk_ Jamie into coming back. Not a hair out of place on that boy's head, understood?" It helped to be a father as well as team leader.

"Why do I have to go?" Leena demanded.

"You can't help with the maintenance and this isn't the time for shopping. Helping Leo find Jamie is your contribution to the team." He folded his arms to signal the end of discussion. Leena could submit to her fathers will in the right circumstances. This qualified.

The remaining team members filed out. Leo gave Doc a confused look, only to be rewarded by a wink as the bridge door slid shut. Alone in the stillness of the room, Doc could almost imagine conversing with his wife in situations like this.

"You're meddling, Steve."

I know, honey. But I want to give Leo and Leena a chance to better know each other.

"Are you not happy with her interest in this Sen Vaez?"

I just want her to realize that she has a choice, and that she shouldn't be distracted by this Vaez guy's wealth.

"Leena is a smart girl."

But is she mature enough?

His wife would have laughed. "This from a man who plays with Zoid toys?"

Models, dear, models. And does this mean you aren't going to help me assemble that Mad Thunder model I bought?

"Whatever makes you happy makes me happy, my love. But seriously, trust your daughter. She will make the right choice."

Yes. Leena would make the right choice. That was how conversations with his wife went. A little jabbing, some cute remarks, and complete honesty. They always reached the same conclusion, but with greater confidence for having shared their thoughts. Steve Toros missed his wife. Would Leena have talks with Leo the way the Toros family used to? Could Leena even try to talk to Sen Vaez like that? Vaez had money and power, but whenever Leena needed help, Leo stood closest, not Vaez. More than money, more than models, more than the newest and shiniest parts, Steve Toros wanted his daughter to be happy. Leo could make her happy.

So I am biased, and I am meddling, he thought. So long as Leena chose wisely and was happy, he didn't mind playing favorites.

Ms. Elizabeth "Lizzy" Aaron was, technically, a nobody. A cute nobody, but in the world of Zoids she was a nobody all the same. She hadn't competed in any actual battles, hadn't won a single point, and hadn't the right to brag about a first kill on the battlefield. With no credentials, Ms. Elizabeth had no chance of gaining prestige in the now-weakened Zoids Battle Commission on her own. So instead she sought out the one man who could give her a chance to compete: Harry Champ.

"You're one of the few teams that I can actually be of some help to." She explained.

Harry frowned and followed her down the streets with the robots trailing behind. "Help us? What makes you think we need help?" He was confused, not angry, though Ms. Elizabeth seemed so nervous that she took it as a sign of offense.

"I-I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry." She bowed apologetically. A miracle the girl hadn't thrown her back out by now. "What I meant was that I can join a team and expect to be useful unless the team can already support a… well, a very large ammunition bill." She led them inside a Zoids hanger center. Harry had never bothered to visit these places. After all, he owned several personal hangers and filled each one to the brim with Zoids. That was before the Backdraft took them all away, of course.

Various pilots moved back and forth, paying no mind to each other or the newcomers. While each small nook housed a fairly diverse range of Zoid (mostly Command Wolfs and Cannon Tortoises), they all shared the grimy look of public storage. Old oil stains, used up rags, broken parts. The stench made Harry want to spin around and head back to the hotel. But he kept following Ms. Elizabeth, who didn't share the other Zoid Warriors' arrogant and confrontational strides. She somehow managed to slide past or between the other residents. Everyone else seemed eager to bump into one-another and start a fight. One particularly burly and smelly oaf did so with Harry.

The confrontation didn't last long, however. The brute's chest rippled with muscles and bounced Harry back like a tennis ball shot out of a charged particle cannon. Harry collided with Benjamin and Sebastian, landing all three of them in a tangled mess. The bully laughed and moved on, deciding they were really too weak to bother with. "Halt!" Harry demanded. Ms. Elizabeth grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

"Please, don't!" She whispered and pointed to a gang of similar thugs. All of them carried some kind of blunt instrument. "With your fancy clothes and robots, everyone is looking for a chance to provoke and rob you. I know that man insulted you, but please don't fall for his bait."

"Oh my!" Sebastian nearly wailed.

"We'll be sold for scrap." Sebastian's head swiveled around a nervous 360 degrees.

Harry felt his face blanch. I'm in a den of thieves, he realized. The headlines flashed before him. _Champ's life cut short in obscure hanger_. _Man destined to be King denied his future_. _Bit Cloud and Leena Toros to marry next week_. Nooooo!

Ms. Elizabeth's abrupt stop snapped Harry back to the moment. She led him through a poorly-secured door and into one of the more private hangers. "This is the reason I need your support, and I hope it will be able to help your team as well." She flipped on the lights, revealing a gun rack with legs.

There wasn't a better way to describe a Gunbluster. The Zoid carried almost two-dozen barrels of various caliber on its back, leaving little room for anything else. Its body squatted low to the ground while golden spikes guarded its sides and tail. The horn atop its rectangular head seemed useless since it was just short enough to keep from being blasted off by the cannon array. "This is my partner, Gunbluster." Ms. Elizabeth made a formal introduction. "My father works on the Gunbluster assembly line and was able to get me a good discount. The only problem is that most teams can't afford the artillery this Zoid uses up. That's why… that's why I was hoping you'd let me join your team."

The same people always seemed to seethe at him. Brad had seethed at him for borrowing the Shadow Fox, and now he was off somewhere in the city, seething even more. Leo knew that the mercenary was upset because the Blitz Team now had no chance to arrive at the appointed challenge site; and that delay would make it even more difficult to reach the site after that. The Blitz Team would lose a lot of prize money because of this. But at the same time, Leo knew his friend didn't regret stepping in to save his teammates. It was an unfair, no-win situation. Brad had gone with the least amount of loss, but he couldn't just ignore the consequences.

But why was Leena seething? It wasn't like she valued money as much as Brad. Maybe it was the loss of a chance to show off? Gain stature in Vaez's eyes? It was so hard to tell with her. Maybe she was just mad because she'd given up something important for _him_. It was always _him_, wasn't it? Leo didn't voice these thoughts, but he found Leena's irritation contagious.

There were only a few places that serviced aerial Zoids properly. Jamie wasn't at any of them. They checked a bank to see if Jamie had dipped into the Blitz Team's accounts for repairs. No luck. Leo even went to a few shadowy areas where illegal mechanics performed "special" modifications to Zoids. He should have known better. Jamie would never go to someone like that.

It occurred to him that Jamie was simply too smart to be predicted. He managed all the Blitz Team's accounts and organized their schedule. He knew where he would be expected, so if he truly was trying to hide, he'd know where to avoid. Leena remained as angry as ever. Her only replies to his ideas and suggest were "fine" or "whatever." She was the only woman who could add several different edges to those words at the same time. She was both angry, bored, frustrated, and annoyed. Finally fed up with the search and her attitude, Leo suggested stopping for dinner. "Fine." Now there was a little hunger along with all the other things in her voice.

With his knowledge of urban monotony, Leo found a good dinning spot and, after making sure Leena's belly was full, asked her a simple but loaded question. "Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad."

"Right, and I'm Van Flyheight."

Leena set her drink down a little harder than usual. "Funny you'd use that name. Seems like you're always trying to be the hero."

"I'm not trying to be a hero."

"Well you could have fooled me!" She stood up and slammed both her hands on the table. "Rushing off on your own, forgetting your team, and nearly getting yourself killed? Sounds like you're trying to be Mr. Hero to me."

"I'm not trying to be 'Mr. Hero." It's just that I can't-"

"Can't stay out of trouble? Can't mind your own business?"

Leo's eyes narrowed. "If I 'minded my own business,' Jamie wouldn't be alive right now."

Leena matched his stare. "I'm not saying you shouldn't have helped Jamie."

"Then what are you saying? Why does my helping people make you so mad?"

She stood up and slammed both hands on the table. "Because you always attract trouble! You try to save some woman we haven't even met, we get arrested and stuck in some buried city! You try to help Jamie, we all end up losing a match by not showing up."

"I helped you when those weird Zoids attacked too."

"And you got shot up because of it."

"Should I have not helped you?"

"You don't get it, do you? I don't have a problem with you helping people! I even came back to help because of you!"

They now had the attention of all the other restraint patrons. Enjoy the show, folks. "You had the choice to keep going or turn around. I didn't make you help me."

"YES YOU DID!" Leena sunk back to her chair. "You went off without a second thought, and after you left I just couldn't stop thinking about you and Jamie and that girl and… and I couldn't keep going. I thought about everything you do and I felt selfish and childish and small… so I got ready to leave and Dad said that we should all go since we wouldn't have enough fighters to qualify… I think that was just an excuse though."

Leo chuckled a little. "Yeah, probably."

Leena looked at him with exhausted eyes. "Why aren't you upset? That's what's bothering me. You nearly got yourself killed, _again_, and now our whole team is taking a loss. We'll get no money, Brad's mad at you, and Jamie's still missing. Your Zoid's damaged, and we aren't going to make the next battle. We all get punished for doing something good. How can you be so calm?"

Leo smiled. Not a mocking smile, or a triumphant one. He was happy to see Leena's two halves conflicting. Maybe after he spoke to her, she'd better recognize her more generous self.

Slowly, Leo placed a hand atop Leena's. "We never did finish our talk."

"Our what?"

"Our talk. Back in the…" He glanced around at the other people. All had returned to their meals, but none of them were speaking. Instead, they were all watching out the corner of their eyes to see what happened next. "Back in that city you mentioned." He nodded his head a little and Leena signaled she understood. "You asked me to tell you about myself. Well, the first thing you have to know, is that I don't know that much about myself to begin with."

Leena shrugged. "That's true about everyone."

"Yeah, it probably is. But it's a little different for me. Long ago, I didn't even have a name and I was in a very bad place where no one would help me."

He had a name now, so they couldn't make him cry. They couldn't call him 12515 like he was just a part the techs used. They couldn't make him feel like he was trapped here. Now he had a name. Now, Leo was a person.

But that didn't stop them from kicking him. A name didn't stop the pain. His side still hurt while he tried to stand up straight with the other trainees. If he didn't stand straight, they'd hit him again. Maybe they wouldn't notice. 12512—who still didn't have a name—was looking pretty sick. His skin was all white, and it didn't look like he was watching anything. His eyes were kinda weird and he was really sweating. Leo watched 12512 as much as he could without turning his head. Was the other boy sick? Did he have what all the others got?

The newest angry man strode back and forth, lecturing them about something that Leo didn't want to learn. He had everything he needed now. He knew how to pilot to protect himself and his Zoid friends, how to shoot a gun without killing someone, and how to sneak out of the base. He'd broken out several times, but then the found him in the desert, too tired and thirsty to keep going. Then they brought him back and beat him.

That would change when Fang was fixed. Leo had been stealing parts and bringing them back to his new friend. Leo didn't want to steal from the techs, who were nicer than the angry men; but the angry men must have stolen Leo from wherever he belonged, because he didn't belong here. He was stealing enough to leave and find home. The Techs would understand. They had homes to go to, didn't they?

Just one more part, and then he could leave. He would pilot a Zoid, but wouldn't kill with it. He wouldn't kill anybody. He was everything the angry men didn't want him to be, and that made him happy.

"12512!" The angry man's shout startled Leo more than the sick boy. "What the hell is wrong with you?" The angry man got right in the sick boy's face. "Pay attention!"

12512 answered by throwing up right in the angry man's face. Leo had to try very hard not to laugh while the man used a lot of words Leo didn't want to know. Anything the angry men said was probably bad.

The now bad-smelling and even uglier angry man called for a pair of medics who took 12512 away. The boy was all limp and was still looking at nothing. Leo knew he wouldn't see the other boy again. The others had left the same way. He looked over at the only other trainee, the one he wanted to go away, 12516. There had been twelve of them at first. 12516 had come later, "unlucky thirteen" they all called him. He wasn't like the rest. His hair wasn't a weird gray shade, and he acted like he'd be leaving sooner than anyone else. He was mean to the techs, the staff, and especially the other trainees. Leo didn't like being the last one stuck with 12516, but it had to be better than where the others went.

The other boy, the nasty one nobody liked, grinned at him like he was gonna say, "You're gonna go away next." He would go away, but not to where the others went. No, he would be free.

"You two, pay attention!" The puke on the angry man's boots made the next beating really smelly.

Leena sat stunned for a moment. "I… I can't believe that."

"I don't have a reason to lie. I mean, if I did want to lie, I'm sure I could imagine a better story than that."

"But… I mean… who did that to you?"

Leo frowned and leaned back. "I've been wondering that for a long, long time. I didn't know for sure until I saw a picture of Count Umbra."

"Umbra? Wait, you mean that the Backdraft-"

"They were training a squad of young pilots in the hopes that we would become elite pilots, just like Vega Obscura." He ran his fingers through his smoke-colored hair. "I probably have them to thank for this permanent dye job, though it's been this way since as long as I can remember, so it's not like I miss my original hair color."

Leena said hesitantly, "You know… you look a lot like Vega. Older, and maybe a little rougher-looking, but have you ever thought he might be your brother?"

"I don't think so. Vega wasn't a part of our little group. And I really don't desire to gain any new connections to BD. They tried to make me something I hate, I got away, I'm happy with that." Leo leaned forward and look Leena in the eyes. "But I don't want to forget how helpless, scared, and angry I felt while I was trapped in that base. If it wasn't for Fang, I would probably have gone wherever they dragged off the other children. I can't just stand by when other people need help, because I know how it feels to be powerless. That's why I go 'looking for trouble,' and that's why I don't regret making sacrifices to help others."

Leena was back in stunned silence, and Leo realized what he must sound like. "Look, I don't mean to put myself on a pedestal. Like everyone else, I've done things that I'm not proud of; and there've been plenty of times I failed to help someone. Either I was being stupid, or immature, or… something just happened. I try to help when I can, but I've blown it more than a few times. I'm just trying to say, this is who I am."

Leena smiled and nodded. "Now I understand why you like Zoids more than people."

"I don't hate people."

"I didn't say that you hated people. I said you like Zoids _more_ than people. You spend more time in the hanger than you do with us, and you talk to the Zoids more than you do with your teammates."

"The Zoids are part of the team."

"So you like to talk with half our team."

Leo was silent for a long while, trying to think up a response. It was true that he felt much more comfortable around Zoids. Zoids fought for a reason, it was part of their nature. They didn't beat children for their own sick pleasure, or steal from each other out of personal greed. There was a limit to their actions, even in battle. The only mention of a Zoid devoid of morals or limits was the Deathsaurer, and that monster had been a human construct. Leo had always minimized his time with his own kind. It wasn't that he feared other humans, or that he hated them. It was just that he felt more comfortable around Fang and the others.

But he never told his history to any Zoids besides Fang. Only today had that knowledge passed to a third person; a person different than any other woman Leo had ever met.

"Leena, you're the only living being, human or Zoid, that I've told this to."

"Well, you know there are a couple of eavesdroppers too, right?" She grinned.

"They'll go home and pass the story along and forget all about me as a person. I think you understand me. And I haven't thought about leaving the Blitz Team for a while now."

"Not at all? Seemed like you couldn't wait to head out the door not too long ago."

Leo shrugged. "I've thought about how weird you guys are. And how it's a miracle you haven't self-destructed yet. And how you're completely unlike any team out there right now."

Leena rolled her eyes. "If you had stuck with the 'not like any other team' bit, I might have taken that as a compliment." She grinned slyly. "But, then again, you're not like any man _I've_ ever met."

"Well, I _will_ take that as a compliment."

"I've never met a man who talks to Zoids more than people,"

"Still a compliment."

"And can't aim a cannon properly."

"I've learned. I'm better. Still complimented."

"And trips on sand dunes."

"…"

"And walks in on women in the shower."

"That was an accident! And you _shot_ at me! And threw a tub…"

"I was teaching you a lesson."

"What kind of teacher uses bullets in a lesson?"

"The ones who want unruly students to learn a lesson."

"You just can't let me take a compliment, can you?" Leena burst out laughing. This was fun. Leo didn't understand it, but being around Leena made things more interesting. He'd walked through dozens of similar cities, eaten the exact same food, and had the occasional conversation with other Zoid pilots or short-term friends. None of them were as much fun as Leena.

"Leena, my darling!" Fun was over. Harry Champ sat down right next to Leena. "What an amazing coincidence! It must be fate that drew us together. How appropriate that I should meet the most beautiful rose in Desert Flower City! I-"

"Who invited you?" Leo demanded.

"How dare you speak to me in such a way? I am-"

"Interrupting our dinner." snapped Leena.

"Um… excuse me." A young woman stood a short distance apart from Harry. "We're sorry to interrupt, but-"

Leena was on an interruption trip. "Who are you?"

"My name is-"

"Don't trifle with such things, my darling! Let us just enjoy our-"

"Mr. Champ! I am not a trifle." The unknown girl was almost pure red and trembling. Amazing she could call Harry "mister" with that look. Leo had expected something a lot stronger. "My name is Elizabeth, and I have asked Mr. Champ to let me join his team. But as much as I want to be a part of his team, I will not be dismissed like that."

"Um… I… uh…" Harry finally had the sense to look abashed. Leena signaled Leo to make their exit and managed without Harry trying to waylay them.

"Who _was_ that?" Leena wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but I'm impressed."

"Impressed? That girl was going to shake herself apart! I'm amazed she could even say two words to Harry."

"I'm impressed that she not only said those words, but did it while staying polite."

Leena frowned. "What's so great about that?"

Leo smiled. "People who can say their peace while staying civil demand more respect. The fact that they don't instantly start out with cussing and insults makes people more open to their words. You saw how quick Harry quieted down. I don't think you could get him to look that embarrassed."

"Oh, I've shut Harry up plenty of times."

"Yeah, by shooting him and blowing up part of the landscape. The only thing keeping him from talking back was probably unconsciousness."

Leena folded her arms. "I only shoot at perverts who walk in on women in the shower."

"And you shoot at people who steal your cookies, try to take your kills on the battlefield, and look at you lopsided. Bit's been telling stories."

Leena glanced back over her shoulder. Harry and his potential teammate were barely visible in the crowd, but she could have sworn she saw Harry trying to apologize to the lady he had insulted. "So, you're saying that girl is better than me at-"

She never finished her sentence. High above, a building shattered in a plume of light and heat, and the whole city began to fall down around their ears.

Author's Note: I just love cliffhangers, don't you?

… Yeah, I hate 'em too. Guess I'll just have to get the next chapter out quick. Please feel free to leave a review. Thanks for reading.


	15. Tragedy

Battle Dawn

Chapter Fifteen: Tragedy

by Silver

Author's Note: I'm trying a different style of blocking in the hopes that won't accidentally delete my spaces and make it harder for readers to tell when I've switched scenes. I can't believe I've been posting for so long and been ignorant about this issue.

While I am thankful to everyone who has read and reviewed this story, I am actually going to warn some people away from reading this chapter. A very large part of this chapter deals with terrorism and the deaths involved in terrorist attacks. If you have lost someone in the 9/11 bombing or the terrorist attacks in England and Spain, you should consider whether or not you want to continue reading this part of my story.

For those who wish to continue (and I am very grateful for that), I hope you enjoy my tale and I look forward to your comments later.

X x x x x x

Time's up. Alteil checked his watch and heaved a sigh. His last moments of relative safety were gone. The sorrow of the labor force could not reach his perch at the top of the hangar. Alteil instead focused on the cameras aimed at him. In many ways, they were more deadly than the guns the guards used to either shove or threaten the terrified people below. These cameras, along with the pirated video signals, would make him the most hated man on Zi. All those workers had to worry about was doing their job. They would live to see their next assignment. Alteil did his job because he too had no choice, but there was less certainty for his survival. The floor director counted down from five and Alteil slid into his most composed expression.

Live to see dawn. That was his life now. Survive one day at a time, but stay aware for an opportunity; a chance to expose Vaez and reclaim freedom. Only then could he begin to dream about his future again.

Three… two… one… cue. "Greetings, people of Zi." His face appeared on every televiewer on Zi, regardless of the channel. Even the powered-down televiewers would snap to life, displaying his image and sending forth his words. Vaez had spared no expense in demonizing Alteil. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Alteil, the Supreme Commander of the Backdraft Organization. I'm certain many of you thought that the days of my group were over. I am here to dispel that illusion."

The camera's tally light winked off, signaling that Alteil was no longer on screen. Instead, the feed had switched to a remote camera mounted on the belly of a Glaive Quama hovering over Desert Flower City, or whatever was left. Alteil continued to speak, "What you are witnessing is our first act of retaliation. A few short months ago, the Backdraft's greatest desire was to assume control of Zoid Battles. We sought to push the sport to a whole new level of drama and intensity. Instead, we were forced into the shadows by the Zoids Battle Commission. Hunted, arrested, rejected; they feared our new vision. And when we tried to elevate the Royal Cup into the most amazing tournament in history, the ZBC slapped us down once again with a brutal display of firepower from their Super Satellite.

"Soon thereafter, our leader, Count Umbra, was killed in a ZBC raid." And I lost my whole livelihood, Alteil silently mourned. "Now I rule BD, and I am not content with hijacking battles anymore. On this day I declare war on the ZBC! This city, now razed by our bombing unit, is but the first of many battlegrounds! We will continue to strike from the shadows, invisible to the eyes of that arsenal hovering above our heads. No matter what weapons you place, we will sneak past them! Send out all the searches and raids you desire. We will have already completed our work and gone! We are the future of Zi! Not just the constructors of the shadow battles! We have power over anything that can be destroyed, and as you can see, we are very skilled at destroying cities."

The crew signaled that they were clear and began to break down the equipment. Alteil allowed himself a small sigh. It was time to leave into an uncertain future. That wasn't exactly new; he'd overcome great challenges before. He just wasn't as confident this time.

X X X X X X X X

Just run. That was all anyone could do right now. There was no way to stop those Zoids flying overhead, nor was there any way to stop the mantis-type Zoids that plummeted from above, smashing into buildings and consuming everything around them in a mix of fire and death. Leo held Leena's hand so tight that he thought it might break, and she did the same. Together they fled down the streets, using Leo's knowledge of every city layout to find their way back to the Hover Cargo. Until they were back in their Zoids, they were as powerless as the civilians running past them.

Leena snagged back on Leo's wrist as the roof of the building in front of them exploded, raining down flaming slabs of concrete and steel. Several large blocks smashed where Leo would have been running if Leena had not pulled him back. Leo stood breathless for a moment before the screams reminded him of the danger. He and Leena continued onward, no time for thanks. As they fled, a shimmer of white hair caught Leo's eye. Despite the basic, primal urge to run, he diverted to the side and Leena followed. They swam through the flood of terrorized people, almost drowning from the close quarters. Up ahead, Jamie kneeled down, cradling a wounded Yuki in his arms and calling for help. Yuki bled from her temple, and Jamie was near tears. His head snapped up when Leo called his name. "Leo! Leena! Help, please!"

"What happened?" Leo knelt down and scooped the girl up.

Jamie frantic. "We were looking for some parts, and then there was this explosion and… and… and Yuki got hit in the head by the falling debris and she… she…"

"Come on!" Leo didn't need to hear the rest. He scooped up Yuki in his arms and Leena snagged Jamie. They ran past several bodies on the street, many of whom had obviously been crushed. For a moment, Leo thought he saw himself lying among the dead and wondered if perhaps Leena hadn't saved him from that falling chunk of roof. But no; he was alive, and he would keep Yuki alive as well. Then he'd make someone pay. Someone had brought hell to this city, and he would return the favor tenfold.

Overhead, missiles and bright slashes of light lanced out from the city and struck a small flight of attacking Zoids. They all vanished in a burst of heat and light as strong and terrifying as the ones raking the city. Leo couldn't imagine who would have so much firepower. Most of the Zoid warriors were too busy fleeing for their own lives to defend someone else; and it looked as though most of the public hangars had been the first targets. Please let the Hover Cargo be all right, Leo prayed to anyone who was listening. Doc, Brad and Bit had to be okay.

Time moved in slow motion. Every scream echoed in a void, every explosion shook the world. People ran with no hope of escape, but still they fled. So much fear in one place made Leo sick. The people were one flowing torrent of fear and death. Some were not fast enough, and were trampled under foot. Others could not avoid the flaming wreckage of buildings, bridges, and billboards that rained down without mercy or reason. Smoke filled his lungs, burning his whole body from within, and Yuki felt so cold in his arms.

Finally, mercifully, Leo saw the Hover Cargo, intact and protected by its massive energy shield. Just outside the protective field stood a small mountain of cannons and missiles. Its four legs bore down on the ground, lacing it with cracks. A small shimmer like a desert mirage enveloped the Zoid, but Leo recognized the Liger Zero Panzer. Two bursts of energy from its back-mounted hybrid cannons lashed out at a cluster of aerial Zoids that had yet to drop their payload. The blasts didn't strike dead-on, but the heat from the pulses ignited the bombs in the Zoids, taking their carriers with them.

This was a doubly-cruel act. So many people and Zoids killed in one attack, and they used Zoids themselves as flying bombs! Leo led the troupe into the Hover Cargo. Doc had been smart enough to allow enough space between the shield and ground for other people to pass under. A large, terrified mass had taken shelter under the Cargo's protection.

"Let us pass! We have a wounded girl!" Leo somehow managed to push through the masses and keyed in his entry code at the door. Several people tried to press in but the Blitz Team couldn't afford to have civilians clambering around inside the Hover Cargo. Leena fended them off for the most part while Leo dropped Jamie and Yuki off in the small medical room. He would have rather taken both of them to the hospital, but for now the Hover Cargo was probably the safest structure in the city.

Leaving Yuki in Jamie's care, Leo sprinted to the launch bay where Fang waited anxiously. He could see Fang's joints shaking. He needed to be out there, fighting back. How many screams and explosions had taunted his ears from outside? "Let's do this. Fang, GO!" The Hover Cargo momentarily dropped its shield just long enough for Fang to land alongside the Panzer. "Bit, what are you doing?"

"Protecting the city! What does it look like?"

"The Panzer's not ready! I didn't finish all the repairs." All those missile ports and cannon shots were searing the Liger Zero's body. A miracle it hadn't melted.

"Panzer's the best choice for this situation. I've already taken out about half their forces!" And the other half had just about finished dropping their sacrifices. Leo didn't argue any further and began retaliating with Fang's sniper rifle. His aim was truer than ever, striking several Zoids that were making their bombing runs. He hated killing those defenseless Zoids that hung from their carrier's claws, but there wasn't any way to bring them down safely. Leena had been right that he was more comfortable around Zoids than people, but he could not place one Zoid's life above countless humans. He hoped that the Zoids would understand and forgive him.

"Any sign of Brad?"

"None." Bit unleashed a volley of missiles. Despite their dwindling numbers, the airborne force still seemed infinite. "He was probably too far away to get back to the Hover Cargo in time." That was the best-case scenario.

They continued to lob volley after volley without decreasing the enemy's numbers. How many of these tiny Zoids did the attacks have? They were about the size of those Diloforce Zoids, but were based on some kind of insect. Leo had heard of them before, but the name wasn't coming to him. Not that it mattered.

Fang's sensors bleeped harshly. Something else was up there, sweeping between the bombing units. The signature was frighteningly familiar and it was coming straight for them. "Bit!"

"I see it!" The monster Zoid from that afternoon dove down, nearly crashing into several of its partners along the way. Bit fired his Hybrid Cannons once again but the Zoid dove at a perilously sharp angle and managed to miss the blasts. The other Zoids were not so lucky. The loss of several comrades didn't even slow the larger one down. It swooped in low to the ground and aimed for the Panzer, firing two bursts from its obviously repaired belly-cannons. The two blasts should have had as much effect against the Panzer's armor as a pebble striking a tank. But the Panzer was incomplete. The twin blasts struck the shoulder and something within the armor sparked and exploded. Liger Zero roared with pain and staggered to remain upright. Leo could hear something explode over the comm. and Bit cried out with the same pain as his Liger.

Leo swung Fang's sniper rifle around, ready to end the fight in one shot. The attacker would not allow it. Faster than Leo could aim, the Zoid connected with a double-foot kick to the damaged leg and toppled the mighty Panzer. It reached out with its beak and seized Fang by the throat, casually tossing him aside. Several more swift kicks to Panzer's body preceded a barrage of fire from the creature's mouth. Flames enveloped the already over-heated Panzer.

"Stop it!" Leo and Fang regained their footing and charged forward, blasting their sniper rifle. The enemy dodged two shots and used its wing-mounted blasters to knock the smaller Command Wolf down again. The Panzer now dismissed, the monster advanced on its legs. It had the perfect shot angle for its main cannons.

Leo tried to get Fang back up, but knew they wouldn't make it in time. Fang's joints were next on the list for upgrades. Too bad he'd never get the chance. They'd taken too much abuse throughout the day. He could only lie there and wait for the explosive gunfire.

There was a loud noise, but it wasn't aimed at him. Gunfire hailed from above as Ballistic the Gun Sniper landed with both Vulcan cannons blazing. The shots raked across the aerial Zoid's body, nearly striking the wing joints. With a cry, the larger Zoid ascended and streaked off into the night, following the remaining forces of bombing Zoids as they flew away from the city.

Leena continued to fire after the retreating force, but Leo jumped out of Fang's cockpit and sprinted for the Panzer. "BIT!" No answer. Leo could feel the Panzer's heat at least several yards away. The air shimmered and rippled, transforming the Panzer into a hazy green blur.

One of the first rules Leo learned from spending time with mechanics was to always have a piece of fire-proof clothing on hand. Given all the perils that faced Zoids pilots, fire protection was a daily necessity. Unfortunately, not many pilots followed this sage advice. Leo was not like most pilots. He made sure his fire-proof, non-slip piloting gloves were secure as he tried to jump onto the Panzer's head. The soles of his boots melted and peeled off the super-heated armor and his clothes and hair matted down with sweat.

The emergency release for the Panzer's hatch was just next to its right ear. It, like everything else, was too hot to touch. Leo grabbed it anyway and burned his hand. By instinct, he cried out and drew back his arm. But now wasn't the time to let instinct control him. Bit needed to get out of that cockpit, and the Liger wouldn't be able to handle the burden of its armor much longer.

Leo grasped the handle again with his fresh hand, and when it didn't move right away he used his burned hand as well. He didn't try to hold in the scream as the heat seared his skin. With one desperate twist, the control switch gave way and the Liger's cockpit hissed open, releasing even more superheated air.

Bit's skin was almost pure red and blistering in many places. It looked as if he'd broken his arm as well while shielding himself from an exploding control panel. Leo kicked the controls to release the pilot harness, then hit the emergency armor release control. A small series of charges fired the Panzer armor off the Liger's body and sent them to the ground, which blackened under the heat. Leo looped Bit's undamaged arm over his shoulder and began to drag him away from the fallen Zoid.

Leo's vision was blurry and he doubted it was just from the heat. His hands throbbed and his body felt as if he had carried Fang all the way from the desert. It was hard to hear all the crying and screaming around him. Leena and Doc ran towards them, shouting something. He couldn't make it out. "Take care of Bit," was all he could say before he slipped into that comfortable darkness.

X X X X X X X X

Damn it all. It wasn't fair. Raid took a minute to silence all the alarms and indicators inside the Salamander's cockpit. That overloaded Gun Sniper had done a ton of damage to the wings and fuel lines. At this rate, his Zoid wouldn't have enough juice to make it to the fallback base. Raid signaled the other Zoids—the ones he allowed to fly next to him—that he was headed back to the staging area to do a quick fix and refuel. It shouldn't be too big a problem since no one had a clue about the base's location. He'd be in and out in less than a day. Plenty of time before searchers found anything.

Despite the easy job, Raid felt angry. Just a short while ago, he'd been enjoying the sight of the city getting hammered by the boldest move in Zi's history. And he'd been a part of it. Then he'd taken down the Liger Zero Panzer. He'd beaten Bit Cloud! How many pilots could make that claim? That white Command Wolf had tried to steal away that glory, but it'd been an easy win. And then, just as he was about to finish that overrated nobody off, some other loser in an over-customized Zoid jumped in and punched a bunch of holes in his oh-so-powerful Salamander. It just wasn't fair.

Everyone was always getting in the way of Raid's plans. His Storm Sworder team had been one of the rising stars of the ZBC until they fought the Tigers Team. Not that the Tigers were that good. Hell, they couldn't even aim right. But they knew how to cheat. Even the best pilots can't avoid a lightning storm that's actually _aiming_ for their Zoid. Raid's team had been out of the running after that, even though everyone knew the Tiger's cheated. The ZBC hadn't found the devices the Tiger's used to control the weather, so they just handed the win over to a bunch of losers who didn't deserve it.

Raid's teammates had vowed to rebuild, but Raid had realized the truth. The only way to get ahead was to cheat. That old joke "nice guys finish last" really meant something. If he had to choose between being a straight arrow and a winner, he'd go with winner every time. As of tonight, he was the biggest winner on Planet Zi. When the Backdraft took over the ZBC, he'd be in the biggest seat possible. Then he'd have some real fun.

X X X X X X X X

Never before had the King felt so small. Harry's Iron Kong reached into the pile of debris that had been a public Zoids hangar. There were no life-signs under the broken concrete and melted steel, but Harry was more than a little nervous about stumbling upon a body.

After somehow surviving the bombing that demolished Desert Flower City, Harry's robots had all but demanded that they leave. "We should move on and rejoin the ZBC." Sebastian had said factually, even though his servos were trembling. "Let's leave before another attack!" Benjamin made no attempts to look calm.

But then Harry had looked over at Ms. Elizabeth, who stood at the edge of what had been her home with tears streaming down her face. Her parents lived elsewhere, but she had been rooming with several friends. All dead. In that moment, leaving was the farthest thing from Harry's mind. He had ordered the robots to check on their Whale King and salvage the Iron Kongs if at all possible. The Whale King had been buried under rubble as well, but they had been able to extract the Iron Kongs. While the robots repaired their main transport, Harry did all he could to retrieve the Gun Bluster. "We're not leaving until Ms. Elizabeth is ready to go." Neither robot understood his orders, but that was nothing new.

Problem was, Harry didn't understand his motives either. He knew that his beloved Leena was somewhere in this city. He'd confirmed her survival, but nothing beyond that. As Prince, he should rush to his love's side and comfort her. Why was he dotting so much on Ms. Elizabeth? And why did his heart leap a little when he found the Gun Bluster? The moment he saw one of its cannons poking up through the rubble, he felt a certain pride that was a bit foreign to the King. Surely this was not his only success… though he couldn't really remember any others off the top of his head.

"Mr. Champ!" Ms. Elizabeth waved from the sidewalk, sidestepping rubble along the way. Her quite demeanor made Harry feel a little uneasy. What could she be thinking right now? Her eyes were red from tears, though she forced a smile. Her city was in ruins, and word was the ZBC would be evacuating and relocating everyone. The cost of rebuilding this area was astronomical, even by Harry's standards. There was nothing for her now. "Thank you for freeing my Zoid. I'm glad he's all right." The Iron Kong wasn't strong enough to lift the Gun Bluster, but once the robots brought the Whale King they could lift it up into the hangar bay easily.

Harry exited the cockpit and slid down the Iron Kong's thick arm. "Ms. Elizabeth… are you… are you okay?"

"Yes… but could you please call me Lizzy? I'm not used to being called 'Ms. Elizabeth.'" Strange how she could sound so humble about it. "Mr. Champ, thank you so much for all your help. I don't know many people who would do all this for a stranger who just appeared on their doorstep."

Harry blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yes, I am known for my generosity and fierce combat prowess after all!" He laughed a little, but then became serious. "Besides, the Champ Team looks out for its members."

Ms. Elizabeth… Lizzy… looked perplexed for a moment. When her eyes widened and a true smile nearly divided her face in two, Harry felt as though he'd just won the entire ZBC championship on his own. "Really? I can join your team?"

"On the condition that you call me Harry. Not even my own servants call me Mr. Champ!"

"We would if you'd act more responsible!" The Champ Team's Whale King drifted in overhead.

"Sebastian!" Harry shook his fist. "You don't need to say that over the loudspeakers! Everyone can hear you!"

Benjamin replied, "You didn't try to keep your voice down when you talked about us. Really, Harry, after all our years of service you're still complaining about us behind our backs!"

Lizzy laughed, genuinely. It was music. How many times had the Champ Team had an argument like this? Harry sincerely hoped that Lizzy wouldn't run away after a week of this nonsense. For some reason, he hoped she'd stay close for a very long time.

X X X X X X X X

Bit had a broken arm and a torn ligament in his leg, not to mention several burns and a concussion. Liger Zero was just as bad. Several of its joints had almost welded together under the heat, and most of its nerves had suffered damage. Leo would be working double-overtime to get it back up and running. Assuming his hands healed quickly, of course. Leo had second-degree burns from opening the Panzer's cockpit (third-degree if not for his gloves), not to mention some serious blisters on his face. He needed a shower, but for right now he was just glad to have his hands bandaged.

The entire Blitz Team, Jamie included, sat in the medical room of the Hover Cargo. They kept their voices down so as not to wake Bit and Yuki. Jamie's friend lay next to Bit and had a hairline fracture along her skull, but would recover in time. Jamie kept glancing at her and Bit, despite assurances that both would be fine.

Brad had reappeared at the Hover Cargo out of nowhere. Despite his usually calm expression, Leo could feel the anger seething inside of him. That same feeling flowed through the group. All of them wanted justice, or revenge, whichever came first. The Backdraft of old had been sneaking, cowardly, cheating, and annoying. This new Backdraft, led by the same man who'd stolen the Liger Zero, was monstrous.

"I wish we'd caught him back when he stole the Liger." Leo had never seen Leena tremble like this before. "If we had-"

Doc shook his head. "There's no way we could have known he'd go this far. This Alteil person is far more dangerous than anyone imagined. We'll have to be on guard when traveling from now on. He always had it in for our team. Now he might want to prove something to the other BD members by finishing us off." Everyone had been in shock when they saw the recorded announcement from Alteil. They'd been too busy to watch the speech during the raid, but it had since replayed several times. All of Zi had watched Alteil announce his bloodlust. Now every person on Zi demanded some form of punishment ranging from incarceration to his head on a spike.

"Are you saying we should leave?" asked Leo. "Because I'm not leaving yet. There's a Backdraft Base near here. That's the only way those Zoids could have reached this city. I want to find it. I want to shut it down."

Brad nodded. "I wouldn't mind that myself. Problem is, you're injured and we don't know where the base is."

Leo held up a bandaged hand and clenched his fist. Everyone opened their mouths to tell him to stop, but he cut them off. "Pain is something you can ignore if you have something to focus on. Believe me, I'm focused and this won't slow me down." It hadn't stopped him from repairing Fang.

Leena sighed. "Are you a sadist or something?"

"Let's focus on the main issue instead of me. How do we find the BD base? You guys have a reputation for stumbling upon them, right?"

Brad shrugged. "That's mostly because our team has bad luck. We're always getting into messes that really have nothing to do with us. Bandits, Backdraft, legendary Zoids; it's like we're a magnet for these things. The only time we wanted to find a Backdraft base was when they stole Liger Zero, and we only found it through some good luck for a change. What do we have now?"

Jamie spoke up. "My Pteras."

"Oh, please!" Leena snarled. "Enough about your stupid Pteras. We have other things to worry about right now!" Leo had half-expected Leena to blame Jamie for putting them in this mess through his Pteras hunt. It made him feel a lot better that she didn't lament being in the city.

"No. You don't understand. I think we can find the base by tracking my Pteras."

Doc frowned. "What makes you think they have it?"

Jamie explained. "When we first ran across that monster Zoid that hurt Bit, my sensors registered it as having the same signature as my Pteras. At first I didn't want to believe it, but a Zoid's signature is like a human fingerprint; you can't change them very easily and it's often more trouble than it's worth. I didn't want to believe it at first, but I think that monster Zoid _is_ my Pteras."

Leo frowned. "You think the BD got a hold of your Pteras and mutated it?" Wouldn't be the first time. History was filled with maniacs and deranged scientists looking to create the next Deathsaurer or something like it. Even Brad's Shadow Fox was based of the metallic DNA of a Command Wolf. That was how Zoids R&D worked. A scientist couldn't create a new life form from nothing. He had to fiddle with the design of an existing Zoid and make it work somehow. Once the prototype was ready, it was relatively simple to mass-produce clones of that one strand. Legend had it that only Zoid Eve could give birth to a totally-new Zoid.

Leena looked at her father. "Dad, please tell me you didn't sell Jamie's Pteras to some shady guy."

"I-I most definitely did not. The man I bought the Raynos from had a lot of connections. He probably sold the Pteras to another buyer and it traded hands until it fell to BD's possession. It's not my fault."

"I guess not." Leo sighed. "You can't be held responsible for what people do with a Pteras once it's been sold. It's not like anyone thinks the Zoid they sell could be turned into some kind of demon mutant. Still, this seems pretty strange."

Brad chuckled a little. "Like I said, our team has really bad luck. I bet BD doesn't even know they used our old Pteras for their experiments. But no matter how you look at it, this is our best chance of finding the group that attacked the city."

"Then let's get going before the trail gets any colder." They shuffled out silently. All four pilots and their respective Zoids would head out and follow Jamie's Raynos to the source while Doc cared for Bit and Yuki. The enemy had fled west, so that was their best bet. Leo hoped the team would have just enough bad luck to stumble on the Backdraft one more time.

X X X X X X X X

"You sure know how to cause a scene." Bernard Champ was actually smiling a little. A good sign to be sure.

Vaez sipped some tea while watching what was supposed to be a secure transmission between the heads of the Champ Corporation and Backdraft Group. Since the first Demantis bomb had dropped onto the city, Vaez's life had been filled with panicked reports and demands from officials who had no idea of how to cope with a crisis. President Vereor was in hiding somewhere, fearing he would be the target of an attack. Emperor Kamuffel had tripled the royal guard and raised an alert in all of Guylos. People were shocked and appalled by Alteil's audacity, as planned. Not a soul on Zi could claim immunity from this seemingly random and pointless raid. Desert Flower City had nothing of value, no significance to any government, no reason to be targeted. Many people had not even _heard_ of this city until the bombing placed it on Zi's map and then wiped it out. No one suspected that it was the city's anonymity that made it the perfect target. With one act of pointless cruelty, Vaez had shaken Zi down to its soul. Now everyone would be on guard and afraid. Soon he would be the only man capable of protecting the people. And protect them he would. When all this was over, he would honor the victims with a monument. They were nobly sacrificed for the restoration of his family.

Alteil, his still useful puppet, smiled. "I take it you are impressed, Mr. Champ.?"

"Let's just say that you've drummed up some business for me. Already got several orders for top-of-the-line anti-aircraft cannons. So it seems I owe you for a couple'a million, but don't think you can call me 'Barry' just yet."

"Of course, but I can promise you that this is just the beginning of your profits. Can the Backdraft count on your support in the coming months?"

Bernard's smiled waned. "If you can manage to avoid killin' my son, then yeah, I'm in."

Alteil frowned. "Your son?"

An image replaced Bernard Champ's face on the monitor. Vaez wouldn't have recognized Desert Flower City before its destruction. All the cities on Zi looked the same. But the still-smoking remains of the buildings were now the former city's most distinctive feature. A Whale King bearing the Champ Corporation logo hovered just above the devastation. A smaller dot hung beneath the massive transport Zoid. Alteil zoomed in and confirmed a Gun Bluster. Harry Champ had not piloted such a Zoid before, but given his reliance on wealth to win a battle Vaez wouldn't be surprised if he'd just purchased it.

Bernard Champ came back on screen. "Turns out my boy was in Desert Flower City the night of the bombing."

"But he is unhurt, yes?"

Bernard grunted. "Not that I know. But that's not the point. That's twice now you put one of my kids in danger. Even if he wasn't supposed to be there, I expect you keep an eye out for him from now on. Damn kid seems to always put himself in the worst situation."

Alteil nodded. "It is a very strange coincidence, but you have my word that we will monitor a target for your son's appearance in the future."

"Fair 'nough." Bernard signed off with no further commitment, but it did not matter. His gains from one night alone were enough to confirm his loyalty. By the end of this conflict, Bernard Champ might very well become the richest man on Zi. But he would not be king.

Bernard Champ signed off, stating that he had other business. The intercom chimed. "Chairman Vaez, Bernard Champ is on line three for you."

That was fast. Vaez set down his tea and opened the communication. "Mr. Champ, how nice to speak with you."

Bernard Champ seemed cheering than a moment ago. "Chairmen Vaez, please call me Barry."

"Of course, Barry. It's a pleasure to hear from you. We haven't spoken since my promotion celebration."

"Yep, and I didn' get more than two words in, you had so many lady friends talkin' to you. Never got ta say how happy I was te have some young blood in the higher-ups. Ol' Hancock was gettin' too stuffy fer my tastes." His accent had tripled in less than a minute. Such a weak fool. Vaez did not pick and choose whom he lied to; he lied to everyone. He treated all the same, as a king should. By lying to all his eventual followers, he showed no preferential treatment. He could not favor one subject over the other so simply. Only Leena Toros demanded special affection from him, and even then he would not tell her everything. When the need for lies ended, when he regained his family's rightful place, then he would speak the truth. And he would tell Bernard Champ what a worthless nothing the man was, just before his execution.

"Hope ah didn't interrupt ya. I know yer awful busy, what with them poor folks in Desert Flower City."

"I have more than enough time to talk with friends and allies. Do you need something?"

"Yep, 'fraid I do. My boy, Harry, he missed the ZBC registration deadline."

"And you'd like me to help him participate in the upcoming season? It might be placed on hold given the current situation."

"No worries there, Mr. Chairman. I dun want to you let muh boy in. I wunt to ask that ya'll keep 'im out. Dun let the boy weasel his way in. He missed out an' dropped the ball. Fair's fair as they say."

"I was under the impression your son missed the registration because he was in the hospital."

"'fraid so. But again, them's the breaks. Dun let that boy push his way in, please. Got's ta teach him some responsibility." To fake friendship was offensive, to claim the moral high-ground was appalling. Bernard Champ's issues with his unruly son were well known, though never publicly spoken. No doubt this rich fool wanted to break his son's will by blocking his entry. When Leena Toros bore Vaez a son, he would teach the boy strength and nobility. He would mold his successor from the moment he left the womb. None of these shadow deals and false affections. You will burn at the dawn of my reign, Bernard Champ, thought Vaez. There is no place for you in my new world.

X X X X X X X X

There, all fixed. Raid grinned as he finished the last weld on his Salamander. Not the prettiest job, but he was a flyer. Let the ground-pounding techs sweat the small stuff. As long as he could get up in the air and reach the next BD base, he wouldn't complain. Maybe he'd do a little fly-by of the city they wrecked; see how all those people trapped on the ground were doing.

It wasn't that Raid hated the people in that city, but they were an obstacle for him. To gain prestige in the new Backdraft and to secure the position he deserved, Raid had to do some things that might appear extreme. But the means justified the ends. The ZBC denied him a place as the top aerial pilot, so now he had to tear down the Commission to take that same title. Whatever it took, he was willing.

Time to get moving. The base was scheduled for demolition in a few hours. Once the camouflage dropped, the ZBC search force would storm the base and find a nice treat at the very bottom. But if the timetable went according to plan, they wouldn't realize the truth until they were literally six feet under. Raid's return and pausing of the countdown had thrown the time-table off a little, but Alteil had allowed room for re-supplying and Raid was confident things would work out right. Killing a ZBC patrol unit was just rubbing salt in a much larger wound. Raid couldn't wait to hear the news about how they'd duped the big shots yet again.

He stepped into the Salamander's cockpit and closed the hatch. A faint stirring echoed from somewhere deep inside the body. None of the techs could figure it out. Some thought the Zoid core was suffering a little backlash from the mutation process. Others thought the combat data from the old Pteras that hadn't been purged from the system. Whatever it was, Raid always felt like the Salamander was fighting the stick just a little. Didn't matter too much, though. No way he'd let his ride ditch him.

He opened a link with the base computer and ordered the door open. When nothing happened, he punched the command in again; with a bit more force this time. The computer sent back a warning that unknowns were in the area, and automatic lockdown was in effect. That was a trait of the old Backdraft. Whenever someone came snooping, the base automatically locked all the doors and the members were supposed to hold their breaths until the big bad wandering nobodies went away. That'd been the new policy ever since the Blitz Team shelled one of the Backdraft's tournament domes. Raid hadn't enjoyed that policy and was pretty sure Alteil wouldn't put up with it either. The Backdraft was a whole new animal now, and Raid liked it a whole lot more.

Fortunately, Raid knew the override code. He'd "persuaded" one of the security staff to fork it over. He didn't like being caged in; that was part of why he left the ZBC. After all he accomplished last night, Raid was tempted to take it easy for now and just let the losers go; but where was the fun in that?

A quick punch-up from the external cameras showed a clunky old Raynos, an even older Command Wolf, a fancy but oh-so-grounded Shadow Fox, and that tripped-out Gun Sniper. No sign of the Liger Zero, but Raid recognized the Zoids that seemed to have it in for him. They'd been getting in his way for two days now. Getting in the way of his plans, shooting at his ride, challenging his status as the best flier on Zi; damn fools didn't know who they were dealing with. Well, high time he showed them.

He'd fled during that four-on-one surprise attack, and he'd pulled back to cover the bombing units after trashing the Liger Zero. Now there wasn't any reason to leave. He'd show them just how weak they really were.

X X X X X X X X

"Are you sure it's here?" Brad sounded doubtful, which made Jamie sound nervous.

"Yeah… at least, I think so. The reading's really faint, but it's not moving. My Pteras is definitely close." Too bad there weren't any structures to confirm that. Jamie's search had actually led them back to the edge of the Judge Tumult, several miles up from where he'd stranded the Hover Cargo. Leo could tell the location grated at everyone, especially Jamie. Personal histories aside, Leo couldn't understand how a base for an air strike force could be stationed out here. An underground base would be grossly ineffective, and the Judge Tumult was impossible to fly through. Perhaps Jamie's Pteras lay dying in the Tumult, just like Yuki's Redler. Leo felt a stab of newfound anger just thinking about the murdered Zoid. People, Zoids; Backdraft ruined everyone's life! They ruined the lives of the other trainees and almost did the same to him. They murdered a city full of people just to prove how tough they were. Except that they'd struck at random and unprepared: a coward's assault. They were all cowards!

"Leo?" Leena's face came up on the right side of the cockpit. "You all right? You're gripping the controls so tight your Command Wolf's starting to shudder."

Leo forced himself to relax. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, right. You didn't even bother to correct me about your Zoid's name… We're all upset. Don't worry, we'll get some payback." That made Leo smile a little, even though he knew revenge wouldn't undo the harm.

Brad turned Shadow around. "Let's turn back. Maybe we can pick up a different lead."

Jamie started to protest, but Leena was also turning away. Jamie could only muster an "I'm sorry" before banking his Raynos around.

But then Ballistic halted abruptly and Leo heard Leena gasp. "What's wrong?"

"I… I don't know. I just got this feeling… I can't describe it."

Leo frowned and for some reason the Valley of the Rarehertz was suddenly fresh in his mind. "Try."

"It's like… it's like that feeling you get when you think someone's sneaking up behind you; except that it's so strong that I'm positive something's there. And it's not really a person… more like that feeling I get when I'm in a clothing store and I just know there's this super-great outfit I want to buy except my Dad's really cheap about everything except his toys so I-"

"Leena! Stay on topic!" How in the hell did shopping play into this?

Leena sighed. "You asked me to try to explain what I was feeling. I can't help it if it reminds me of something from my normal life."

"'Normal' isn't a word I'd use to describe you, Leena." Brad's grin was audible.

Leo managed to sidestep Leena's outburst. "Okay, so _something_, not a person, but something is out there. Question is: where is it?"

"And why is it in the same area as my Pteras?" Jamie was a bit more confident now.

Before anyone could answer, part of the Judge Tumult vanished. One moment, the team stood at the very edge of the sand storm. Only a second later the distance had increased by at least two football fields, without the Zoids having moved an inch. Before them stood a large steel dome, chipped and scratched by the harsh sands. Several large metal columns bordered the base, each one equipped with a blinking red light. Leo had heard of such devices, though on a much smaller scale. They were used to set up magnetic fields that could redirect shots from enemy Zoids, often sending them right back at the aggressor. But to be able to redirect a sand storm…

"How on Zi did they manage that?"

"Well," Jamie was already theorizing, "I suppose the field could simply redirect the sand particles within the storm to the sides, just as it would a cannon shell. Or maybe the field has a matching magnetic field to that of the storm, so the similar fields repulse each other. Either way, that base must have a huge power supply to keep that up for so long. It's not perfect since the base is pretty worn, but the field must have at least deflected the worst of the storm."

"Incoming!" Brad shouted and the team scattered on instinct. Twin explosions enveloped the sand, leaving smoking craters that were too great a reminder of Desert Flower City. The monster Pteras Zoid hovered above the domed base and swooped down with a piercing scream, accented by the pulsing of its wing turrets. Brad retaliated first with a round of fire from his laser Vulcan cannon. Jamie also swooped his Raynos around and strafed the enemy with his belly-mounted cannons. Neither shots landed a hit. Leo and Leena added their fire to the fray, but the enemy was amazingly nimble and Leena's aim was off more than before.

"Leena, what's wrong?"

"I-I can't focus. That feeling I mentioned, it's just so strong!" Even now Ballistic was leaning towards the base, as if it sensed Leena's desire to go into the enemy camp. It was a stupid, reckless, and pointless task. If the Backdraft had cleared out, then there was probably nothing of value to be had there. If they hadn't left, Leena would be outnumbered and very vulnerable. It also meant leaving the team weakened to battle a much stronger opponent.

Even so, Leo was more curious about Leena's instincts than the focus of their attention. Something inside Leena was affecting her, triggered by another unknown within the base. This was important, maybe more important that dealing with the foe in front of them. He couldn't let Leena go in there alone, so the answer was obvious, if not perfect. "Brad, can you handle things out here for a while?"

"You're not seriously going inside that base?"

"'fraid so. Can you take that thing with just two Zoids?"

Brad grinned. "I don't know abut finishing it off, but we can definitely hold out for a while. Just hurry back, understand?"

"Got it. Leena, let's go." Fang and Ballistic charged at the base. Closer inspection revealed a set of ramps that led into hangars just below ground level. All of them were shut and auto-fire turrets guarded the bays on either side. No one at Backdraft had counted on a trigger-happy customs fanatic like Leena, however. She was especially dangerous now that there was something she wanted. Anything between her and the object of her desires was as good as slag. The smoke hadn't even cleared before Leena charged into the very, very large hold that now took up the space of several hangar doors. Leo held back a little, not wanting to get caught in "friendly-fire." He'd have to come up with a new term for Leena's form of attack. It wasn't friendly-fire. More like "get the hell out of the way" fire. GHOW-fire perhaps? Being on this team meant redefining reality a little, Leo realized. No time to really think more on terminology, but later on he'd have a good laugh about all the ideas he had for naming Leena's style.

The hangars were empty. No Zoids, no tools, not even mops and buckets for cleaning up oil-spills. Anyone who had occupied this base was long gone. It made sense since the ZBC was already conducting investigations in the area. Though Leo doubted anyone would ever think to check the Judge Tumult. Leena was already docking Ballistic against a maintenance frame. Leo did the same and disembarked Fang right away. He followed Leena down a hallway to a stair junction. Hard to believe that anything was below the hangars since they were already subterranean. The power supply for those magnetic field generators perhaps? Leo grabbed Leena's shoulder. "Hang on."

Leena brushed his hand away. "What we're looking for is down here. I can _feel_ it."

Leo held her arm this time. "Can you feel traps too?"

"No. You saying you can?"

"Of course not, but think for a minute. Anything powerful enough to keep in this base but too big to move has to be well-guarded. The Backdraft wouldn't want that thing to be used by the ZBC or someone else. Let's get to the control room first and see what's out there. _Then_ we can worry about finding this thing that's driving you crazy." Leena reluctantly acknowledged Leo's words and followed him up the stairs. Bases were a lot like cities on Zi. People stuck with the familiar and didn't stray too far from the mold. The Backdraft threw in a couple of twists and turns, but even they surrendered to habit by putting the control room at the very center of the base. Not only was it the most practical location, it was also the most tactically secure. Leo wondered why they didn't encounter any traps along the way. He was suddenly very uneasy about all this.

Many doors, including the control room, were locked. Leo knew a few things about hacking security. It wasn't hard to force the electronic locks open. What troubled him was the lack of secondary traps. The more sophisticated traps—the ones that _should_ have been in a Backdraft base—were designed to trigger when someone successfully hacked through a door security, just like Leo. The only thing the locked doors accomplished was to slow them down. The moment he stepped into the control room, he understood the delay. A countdown ticked away on every screen. There was something hypnotically terrifying about the numbers, spiraling downward by the millisecond. Anyone who'd seen an action movie knew that wasn't a good sign. Leo grabbed the nearest control panel and tried to abort the countdown. He couldn't get in without a passcode, naturally. "Don't suppose our friend outside has a code he'd like to give us."

"Just make sure the routes down to the bottom are safe so we can check this out and get out of here!"

"You still want to go down there?"

"I _have_ to go down there." That was debatable in Leo's mind, but who knew how strong that feeling was within Leena. They had less than an hour until the main power supply imploded, causing the entire base to sink underground. There were no security traps besides more locked doors en route to the main power generator. Fortunately, the Backdraft hadn't bothered to secure the commands to unlock them. Probably in too great a rush to evacuate after setting the countdown. Leo and Leena rushed back down to outrun the clock down to the lower levels.

X X X X X X X X

Wimps. That was the only word to describe these ground-pounders that were trying to knock Raid out of his sky. As if they could. The Salamander weaved and darted between their shots; they might as well have tried to swat a gnat with a sledgehammer. It was a little ironic, seeing as how the Salamander was almost twice as large as their Zoids, but that just a testament to Raid's skills. He could make even the largest, most cumbersome flyer dance on the wind. Soon, everyone would acknowledge his skill out of respect or fear. He didn't care which.

That Shadow Fox was pretty nimble, he had to admit, but it couldn't keep this up forever. Any time it tried to hide within its smokescreen, Raid just used a missile blast to flush it out. That Raynos was more of an issue. Not because it was a genuine threat, but it had the nerve to try to take Raid on in the air. Punishing that pilot was priority one. Raid swooped around and managed to scorch the Raynos' tail with a breath of fire. The Raynos retaliated with its already-smoking tail blasters. It was almost laughable, weaving between those shots. Maybe Raid would take a nap before finishing the wanna-be off.

Now that Raynos was diving at him again, firing from the belly. Must be frustrating to have all the weapons fixed either forward or back. Salamander could fire to the sides if needed from its wing turrets, and one of its cannons had twice the punch of the Raynos' pea-shooters. He met the Raynos' charge in a game of chicken, determined not to flinch first. Their bodies became bullets as they zoomed ever closer. Raid could feel the sweat on his forehead and the thrill in his heart. This was what he lived for. This was the greatest pleasure. He'd crush this loser right after he proved who was the more daring flyer.

Funny, the Raynos should have moved off by now. It was still coming at him. Closer now. Closer. Dangerously close. What the hell was this pilot thinking! Raid rolled the Salamander and pushed the stick just a hair down. The Raynos pilot inverted his ride as well and passed overhead, barely avoiding mixing paint on their hulls. In that one split-second, Raid could see clearly into the Raynos' cockpit. He's just a kid, was Raid's only thought as he saw the spiky, gray-haired boy. There was a wild, frightening look in his eyes, as if he didn't really care about crashing. All this kid wanted was the rush, a rush that was bigger than even Raid could imagine. Damn insane kid.

Suddenly, his flight stick jerked violently, sending the Salamander into a spiral. "What the-" His main screen flashed to life, displaying that same crazy kid. He looked less wild in the image and his hair seemed less stylized. He was shinning what looked like a Zoid's cockpit window. "I love you, Pteras, you're the greatest Zoid ever!" Pteras? There was another sound from the Salamander's core, and the stick resisted him as he tried to pull out of his spin. Another image appeared on screen, this time the boy was wailing next to a broken Pteras wing. "My Pteras is ruined!" What was going on? There was no way the old Pteras memories could still exist. The Zoid techs said they'd wiped it clean before altering the core. This wasn't happening. There was no way his own ride would deny him!

Raid pulled back on the throttle but the Zoid kept diving, and now the Shadow Fox and Raynos were peppering him with fire. Something blew on the Salamander's back, causing the missile launchers to explode as well. Now totally out of control, the Salamander gave one final screech as it slammed into the ground.

X X X X X X X X

The Wild Eagle persona never appeared on the ground, so Jamie was less confident about approaching the strange Zoid on his own. Brad had gone in to the base to see what was taking Leo and Leena so long. But Jamie had to know if this it was true. He had to look at this monster Zoid for himself.

It wasn't much of a monster any more. Its wings were bent and broken in several spots, its left leg had broken off in the crash, and judging by the amount of armor littering the desert it was a good bet that explosion had caused a fatal wound to the Zoid core. The poor thing didn't have long to live. Jamie felt sorry for this strange Zoid, whether or not it came from his Pteras. Jamie had never met a Zoid that was evil for evil's sake. It was always the pilot that made a Zoid work good or evil acts. Whoever piloted this Zoid shot down Yuki, hurt Bit, and covered the bombing of Desert Flower City. The person was evil, not the Zoid.

He was also gone. The window cover had been shattered in the crash, but there was no blood within the cockpit and a fresh pair of tracks led away from the wreckage. Whoever had piloted this Zoid had fled. Jamie contacted Brad and advised him that the enemy pilot might be heading into the base. That was all he could do before answering his question.

Jamie had felt at home in his Pteras' cockpit. The seat fit him perfectly, molded to his body. The controls were easily within his reach and he knew what to press or pull without even looking. His reflexes weren't as fast as Bit's, but Jamie had thought that he'd one day reach Bit or Brad's level with enough practice. He was still aiming for that with the Raynos, though the cockpit still felt a little foreign to him. The Raynos was bigger, and the control layout slightly different. The Wild Eagle was at home in the Raynos, but the Pteras was for Jamie.

"I love you, Pteras… I love you, Pteras… I love you, Pteras…" Jamie's own voice came from inside the creature's head. Jamie climbed into the cockpit, mindful of any broken glass or exposed wiring. A static-covered screen showed a memory he shared with his favorite Zoid. It looped over and over, perhaps the fondest memory of this abused Zoid.

Jamie sat in momentary shock. He didn't want to believe it. How could the Backdraft have done this to his Zoid? Was it just more of the Blitz Team's bad luck? There was no way the Backdraft could have known this was his old Zoid. It was just as unfair as the destruction of Desert Flower City. A lot of unfair things happened in life. People suffered for no apparent reason, or a tragedy befell someone who didn't deserve it. Sometimes there was no one to blame; things just came together in a bad way. Jamie hated the Backdraft for all they had done this day, but at the same time he knew they weren't personally targeting him. He, his Pteras, and all the people in this city were victims in a much larger conflict. Jamie hoped the conflict would end soon with the Backdraft's fall.

He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the monitor. "It's okay. I finally found you again, but now you need to sleep. The Backdraft can't hurt you anymore and we'll never have to fight again. Rest."

The monitor dimmed with "love you" hanging in the air. The body that held Pteras' memories and core began to fade into a pale gray. Silence overtook the cockpit and Jamie felt as though he were the only being on Planet Zi. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn't allow them to flow. His Pteras had always flown high, but had eventually needed to return to the ground. Now even gravity couldn't touch him. His Pteras was truly free. "Goodbye, Pteras. I'll always love you."

X X X X X X X X

"This actually makes sense when you think about it." But even still, Leo couldn't believe what he saw. At the bottom-most level of the base, farther down than Leo would have thought possible, a lot of questions found their answer, and even more questions arose. Before Leo and Leena lay a small lake, glowing from within. Metal pipes and consoles surrounded the shores, pumping energy in and out of the lake. Overhead, a metal arm carried a load of raw materials that had yet to be dumped in. The violet water was already murky with raw material.

"What is it?" asked Leena, who seemed both fascinated and terrified of the water.

"You don't know? This is a Zoid birthing pool." When Leena didn't show any recognition, Leo said, "It's where they give birth to Zoids. The Backdraft must have found it and modified it into the power core of this base."

Leena frowned and wandered over to a large set of cylinders that seemed to be draining energy from the birthing pool. "Why do that?"

"Creating a Zoid requires incredibly energy. So much that there's no way a human being or Zoidian could just cobble a Zoid together from spare parts or anything like that. Zoid Cores are born, not manufactured. The Zoidians created these birthing pools and made sure they could generate enough energy to produce a Zoid. It's the next-best thing to Zoid Eve. It wouldn't be hard to harness the energy of the pool and use it to power a base. This explains how they used the magnetic field to affect the Judge Tumult. This is probably where they mutated Jamie's Pteras and created those flying Zoids." Leo stepped closer and peered into the murky waters. It was a dark purple farther down, sinking even deeper into black. It seemed to stretch on into eternity. Leo had once read that a pool such as this had birthed the Deathsaurer's cloned body. Did the Backdraft have similar goals?

"LEO!" Leena cried and was running towards him. Not sure what was troubling her, Leo turned around at the sound of a loud click. He had just enough time to see a stranger in a flight suit holding something in his outstretched hand. Then there was a loud boom and something hot stung him in the chest. Leo toppled backwards over the rim of the pool and managed to see a few spots of red coming from his chest before the world was enveloped in a dark violet haze that grew dimmer with each fading breath.

X X X X X X X X

Author's Note: Can you tell I really like cliffhangers? Next chapter will be out ASAP. Thank you for reading and please remember to review.


	16. Blitz Team No More

Battle Dawn

Chapter 16: Blitz Team No More

by Silver

Author's note: Before diving in to this chapter, I'd like to remark on something I see in a lot of story summaries. Many people write "I'm bad at summaries." "I stink at summaries." "I can't write summaries." "The summary's bad, but the story's good." And so on.

I'd advise against this. I don't think writing such a disclaimer helps attract readers. If anything, it'll drive them away. If you're not confident about your summary, just write a bare-bones description and let the readers decide if it interests them. Don't declare your summary is bad. At the most, run a summary by some friends and find something that does work. Thank you.

And speaking of friends and thanking people, I'd like to thank Zeropioneer for proofreading my story and catching the typos and helping me refine the story. I also want to thank the people like Dragon-Raptor, Legendary Titan, Rusty, Cereal Killer, blitzkrieg414, and many, many others who have reviewed my story and supported my work. I appreciate all your feedback. I especially enjoyed some of the ideas that came from the end of last chapter when people wondered what would happen to Leo.

Why don't we find out now?

P.S. I like my summaries! J

X X X X X X X X

Lt. Lucraft had been crying. Understandable, but Paris could not afford to spend time comforting her. His eyes were just as red as hers, but his face was not at all streaked with dried tears. His eyes screamed from exhaustion mixed with outrage. The attack on Desert Flower City had the entire ZBC in panic. Even Vaez was playing the part of a shocked leader. He played it so well, in fact, that Paris was not entirely sure the Chairman's attitudes were false. At the same time, Paris could not shake his intuitive distrust of Sen Vaez. Somehow, Vaez was connected to this atrocity in ways that were not yet known.

"Brigadier General." Lt. Lucraft saluted before Paris waved her to the seat in front of his desk. She did not sit. "Sir, I apologize for failing to detect this attack."

Paris arched his eyebrows. "Detect? Lieutenant, even the Super Satellite did not pick up any readings from the enemy air force."

"What I mean, sir, is that I should have been able to determine a raid was coming by hacking-" Paris held up a hand before the Lieutenant could continue. Such a change in demeanor from when she first entered his office. In Paris' view, women were far more in tune with their emotions than men. This gave them greater insights into relationships and interpersonal communications, but it also weakened their effectiveness as soldiers. Paris could not afford to have his shadow operative breaking down at a time like this. "Lt. Lucraft, while we both know your hacking and search skills are superb, you have never given me any indication that you are clairvoyant." It was meant as a compliment, but Paris had learned long ago that his words tended to have an edge to them. It came from having to deal with too many lollygagging subordinates. General Hancock had apparently considered him best at whipping underachievers into shape. The problem was that Lt. Lucraft was far from an underachiever. Quite the opposite; she blamed herself for not averting a disaster no one saw coming. Perhaps the ZBC had been too lax after the death of Count Umbra. They could have detected this impending assault if they'd focused more time on breaching the remaining BD communications. They had not, and this was the price. But to try to lay the blame on one person was cowardice and laziness. Nothing good could come of it.

Paris was not good at reassuring people, and Lt. Lucraft's expression made it clear that she took his words as some sort of mockery, not comfort. At a loss, he leaned forward. "Lieutenant, I am woefully poor at offering support. My strength lies in moving ahead with what needs to be done. I do not blame you for this attack, and you should not hold yourself responsible for failing to detect this cowardly blow. Let the politicians lay blame and point fingers. Right now, you and I must focus on what comes next. Can I count on you to see this secret campaign through, given that further tragedies like this may occur?"

A new determination flared in the Lieutenant's eyes. "More than ever. I know you don't approve of my expression, but I am not regular military and I believe in expressing emotion rather than bottling it up. My sadness at what's happened will help me ensure something like this doesn't happen again."

"Good. What is your opinion of this new Supreme Commander Alteil?"

Lt. Lucraft shuffled through a personnel file she had brought with her. Paris was impressed that she had thought to bring it, despite her distressed state. He did not share her view on expressing emotions. In his eyes, such outbursts would destroy military moral and discipline. But as long as it did not deter from her work he would not let it bother him.

"Alteil does not strike me as the kind of person to plan and order such an attack. He is a coward but he is also greedy and selfish. An act like this has made him the most wanted criminal on Planet Zi and it cost the Backdraft an unbelievable sum in both money and equipment. I cannot see someone as petty as Alteil wasting money like this. There are cheaper ways to declare war."

Paris nodded. "So you think someone else is pulling the strings behind Backdraft's new leader?"

"Perhaps, but there's nothing implicating Sen Vaez. He's just as shocked as everyone and if it is an act then we might want to nominate him for an award. Very convincing."

Paris once again bobbed his head in agreement. "We cannot rule out the possibility too quickly. This attack is rather timely, given that Vaez has only been in a leadership position for a few months."

"The Backdraft could be using this attack to weaken Vaez's credibility."

"I very much doubt that the Backdraft even cares who is the Commissioner of the ZBC. If this were a freely planned attack on Alteil's part, he wouldn't worry about who was leading the ZBC. It'd be more important to focus on the ZBC as a whole and decide on the best course for avoiding detection. But we can speculate on this forever. How is your archeological infiltration going?"

Lt. Lucraft frowned. "Given all that's happening, should we really continue with that plan?"

"Should we continue with that plan, _sir_." He could tell that Lt. Lucraft was mentally rolling her eyes.

"Yes, sir, should we continue with that plan?"

"Yes, we should. Vaez is drafting a new budget to counter BD, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of those funds were secretly channeled to fund his excavations. He could justify his search for Zoid Eve as gathering a stronger arsenal to use against the Backdraft. We cannot let the current situation distract us from what might be going on behind the scenes."

The Lieutenant persisted, "But even you use the term 'might.' There's no proof."

"Lieutenant, remember our agreement. I make the command decisions and I bear responsibility for their success or failure. You need to follow those orders."

After a breathless moment, the Lieutenant said. "Yes, sir. I am almost finished constructing a new identity and will be on an excavation team within two weeks."

"Very good. Dismissed." The Lieutenant saluted once more and exited, leaving Paris to an unending torrent of reports and demands from every military and political figure who was utterly unable to cope with the situation. Paris himself wondered just how well he was holding on.

And then Sen Vaez called.

X X X X X X X X

Paris knocked and saluted all according to protocol, but Vaez's skin tingled from the resentment seeping off the man. This wasn't a case of a rival being outdone. No, Paris felt something. He suspected Vaez. Guarded as his expression was, Vaez could sense Paris' suspicions and had to salute such an intuitive man. People did not often trust their judgment, their instincts, the very traits nature and God gave man to survive. Many people brushed away a bad feeling or a stab of uncertainty as insecurity or some other rationale. Those people did not amount to much. Vaez and his family had survived for centuries by trusting their instincts and following hunches. Rarely did such intuitive action turn sour. Paris was like his family, he had a hunch and he was following it, though Vaez could not detect Paris' dealings. Were he not chained to the traditions and beliefs of old, if he only knew the glory that was coming and accepted it, Vaez would have been very happy to bring a man such as this into his order. Alas, there was too much of Hancock in Richard Paris.

"Brigadier-General, please sit. May I offer you a drink?" Some sodium-pentothal perhaps, to loosen your tongue?

Paris declined. Probably had a feeling about the drink. "With respect, sir, can we really be sitting down for a drink given the current crisis? Surely you must have many incoming calls."

Vaez leaned back and sipped a bit of scotch he'd poured for himself. "A little drink helps keep one calm in moments like this. On the front line a drink spells disaster, but here it can keep a level head. I have already spoken with the leaders of Guylos and Helic, both of whom are in complete panic and utterly lost. I fear it is up to the ZBC to strike back at the Backdraft. That is why I have called you here, Brigadier-General. I want you to hasten your development of the Buster Eagle. We will need its power very soon."

Paris frowned, naturally. Vaez was well aware of his excuse. "Sir, we cannot develop a Zoid core small enough to fit the Buster Eagle's chassis while still outputting the power needed for the weapons and engine. I'm afraid our ambition with this project has overreached reality."

Vaez pretended to sympathize and nodded. Paris was not using all his resources in this endeavor. He had objected to building the Buster Eagle—the Gojulas of the skies. He had said that such power was unnecessary in a world that was mostly peaceful. Well, times change, don't they Paris? Vaez reached into his desk and produced a small data chip that he plugged into a small holo-projector. An image flickered into the air, displaying a small cube with rounded edges. Every side of the structure centered a large blue hole that sent a shimmer of energy through the cube.

"This, Brigadier-General, is the solution to your team's blockage. Our research teams in Eveopolis discovered it within a Zoids development center. Apparently, the Ancient Zoidians were experimenting with new power sources and core housings before their downfall. The name of this unit is lost in translation, so the team simply calls it a Blox."

Paris still wore his frown and Vaez doubted it was simply because of the silly name for this wonder of technology. "Pardon me, sir, but this small thing can power the Buster Eagle?"

"Not on its own, no. But that is the beauty of the Blox, it does not function alone. If you build several of these and encase the Zoid Core in one Blox, the others act as a chain of generators, allowing a smaller Zoid to generate power equal to a unit several times its own size. With enough of these, I am confident the Buster Eagle will be completed."

Naturally, Paris found a way to stall. "Perhaps we should test this on other Zoids before building something as powerful as the Buster Eagle, sir?"

Vaez nodded, not at all surprised. "Provided that you have a prototype up and running in two weeks." He raised a hand to quell Paris' protest. "I believe their were some schematics of smaller units that were never developed in the ZBC database. Incorporate the Blox into those designs and see what sort of benefits you reap. Clear, Brigadier-General?"

"Clear, sir." Paris saluted and left quietly. Vaez took one last sip of his scotch, chuckled, and signaled his driver to meet him outside his personal exit. Of course, Vaez never got in the car. One of his bodyguards, surgically altered to be his double, rode away in Vaez's limo to run simple errands. Vaez himself donned a simple disguise of a heavy coat, hat, and glasses, and drove out to an indiscreet, unobtrusive construction site in the factory district. It had all the makings of a bad spy vs. spy movie. A secret laboratory buried beneath the city, an elevator built into a building that never seemed to finish construction, and a host of disguised figures hiding in the shadows. Yes, this seemed so carbon-copy that no one would believe it to be true. Any eyewitness would be dismissed as having watched too many holo-vids. Hence the reason why it was such a perfect way to meet.

Vaez turned his car over to one of his guards, who would drive it about the city for a few hours and then return to escort his master home. The others accompanied him into the elevator. Only one of the cloaked group revealed himself as soon as the doors slid shut. Dr. Laon's egg-shaped head nearly scraped the top of the elevator. "Isn't all this cloak-and-dagger stuff a little too much." The bodyguards all stiffened at Laon's tone and casual address of their master. Each one was poised to strike him down for such audacity. Vaez let them stay poised just long enough for Laon to become unnerved, then motioned them down with a simple wave of the hand.

"We cannot be too cautious, Doctor. The time for your redemption is not yet on hand. It will be at least several days before we stage your return to society. In the meantime, I want you to see the center of your project; the absolute focus of all your work from this day forward." The doors hissed open into a long corridor that stretched into infinity. Vaez led the way, flanked by two of his guards. The remainder trailed behind Laon, on guard should he attempt something. The hallway was designed so that no more than three people could proceed abreast. Easier to defend the main complex that way. Of course, it carried the price of having to import technology one bit at a time and assembling every tool and component within the structure. Inconvenient, but life was far to imperfect for Vaez's plans to be easy. If life were perfect, he wouldn't have had to make any plans in the first place. His family had been stripped of their rule and now he worked within the world's blind spot to restore the balance. He would make the world perfect again.

Exiting the hallway was like a man emerging from a box to find himself drifting in the vastness of space. The openness of the main laboratory staggered Vaez every time. The domed roof was at least six stories high, plenty of room for any sort of machine or Zoid component needed. The curving section nearest the doorway featured several beds that could easily be used to form blockades if needed. Opposite the beds stood an array of monitors displaying news of the latest strike against Desert Flower City. At opposite end of the dome stood an array of large tubes, only two of which contained the pulsing array of cells that formed a Zoids Core. Empty or occupied, each containment vessel glowed with an eerie blue light that illuminated that section of the dome, and cast an equally sinister glow on the surgery table and operating tools that occupied the space across the way. Laon eyed both sections cautiously, but his main focus fell on the centerpiece of the area: the heart from which all other research sections flowed. A Zoid birthing pool took up three-fourths of the floor; a massive pool of thick purple water that was remarkably calm despite the tremendous power and potential that lay below its rippling surface.

An array of catwalks bridged the surface of the pool and connected to a large platform that was roughly half the Zoid chamber's diameter. It hung on steel tethers strung from the ceiling but did not sway thanks to the catwalks. The platform elevated slightly towards the center and atop that stood some sort of sarcophagus. Vaez could see Laon's confusion and beckoned him to come closer, towards an elderly man who stood hunching forward on a cane. What little hair he had left was pure white and combed towards the back of his hair. His skin was pure wrinkles and made him look like a tried up peach. Despite his frail appearance, his viper-like eyes glinted with a terrible intelligence that made him so invaluable. Although Laon had never met this man, Vaez was not surprised when he spoke a name.

"Baum!"  
"_Doctor_ Baum, if you please. Or perhaps we're on such a casual basis that I may call you Laon?"

Laon snarled something foul and took a step towards Baum. Vaez interposed himself. "Doctors, there is no need for this. Dr. Baum is here by my invitation. The two of you will be working together on various projects."

"_Together_?" Laon fumed. "Do you even know what that man's done?" As if Vaez would every bring someone into the fold without knowing the person's history. "He's a murderer, a lunatic!"

Baum shrugged. "Such terms are always used by the ignorant. Galileo was a heretic, Columbus a mad man, Dr. D a senile old man. I understand you've gathered a few labels yourself, Dr. Laon."

Laon coiled, "I never experimented on kids!"

Another shrug, "Young bodies accept change on the genetic level with greater ease. It was necessary for the sake of my research."

"Is that what you told the kids before you killed them?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, but they were too young to understand. Their sacrifice furthered my research by years. In the grand scheme of things, their loss will help save thousands more."

Laon spun around. "There is no way I'm working with him." Vaez motioned his guards down before they could detain him. He wanted Laon to serve him willingly. Forced servitude rarely inspired creativity, and Laon would have to be innovative in the days ahead. Alteil was different; Vaez just needed him to play the villain and serve his role. Truly, any buffoon could fill that role. Alteil was just the most handy. Not so with Laon.

Vaez sighed, "I admit I'm surprised. I wouldn't have arranged this meeting if I'd known you felt this way."

"You're kidding me." All Vaez' bodyguards had one hand beneath their robes, waiting for the chance to slice off Laon's impetuous tongue. "I'd never work with someone like that! Anyone with half a brain cell-" Laon cut off when he felt the others pressing in on him. He cleared his throat and spoke in a much calmer voice, though a fresh layer of sweat now brightened his forehead. "All I'm saying is that I can't be a part of any organization that has someone like him as one of their top researchers. I have limits."

Vaez nodded. "Every man has a limit, and I understand your position, Doctor. However, you should know that Dr. Baum has been a part of the Backdraft for far longer than yourself. You have already been a part of an organization that employed both your talents."

Laon was taken aback for a moment, but recovered saying, "I didn't know about that at the time. But still-"

"Was your stay with the Backdraft so distasteful? Even though you were not aware of his presence, Dr. Baum was very active within the organization and he supervised several projects you worked on. Did the BD engage in any actions that you could not tolerate?"

"They tried to blow up Leena." Laon growled.

Vaez agreed with a nod. "That, however, was a rogue action by Alteil, not a sanctioned BD operation. Truthfully, Dr. Laon, did anything terrible happen during your time at BD?"

"… No. Not really."

"Then I can promise you more of the same. Dr. Baum's past is complicated, but I can assure you there will be no experiments on children or mutating innocents." Not yet, anyway. "You will have a say in all projects and I can still guarantee the opportunity to see Leena Toros again. Will you stay?"

It was a long pause, but Vaez was confident of the answer. If Laon was trying to unnerve him he was failing. Merely mentioning Leena's name gave Vaez huge power over Laon. Even if Laon would not sell his soul to see the daughter of his love, a few guarantees would help weaken his resistance. Ultimately, Laon agreed to stay and fell back in line with the procession. Dr. Baum seemed uninterested in the mini-drama that had just played before him and instead sped everyone along to the specimen tanks along the curved wall.

All but two of the titanic containers were empty, save the nutrient fluid that awaited a Zoid core. Indeed there were two cores occupying the last tanks on the right. Both cores pulsed and strained violently, as if racing each other to see who could break their confines first. Dr. Baum reported, "I added a growth retardant to the solution for fear that the cores would develop before we are ready. The DST core is almost ready for harvesting and the UDS core is almost done re-sequencing. No abnormalities from the mutation, though the possibly still exists as the core is only 35 developed."

The abbreviations were lost on Laon, but Vaez grinned, satisfied. "How large an improvement can we expect in the UDS core?"

"Unknown without our final 'component' but I can promise at least a 120 upgrade from the older model." That was enough for now. They moved on to the birthing pool and the platform suspended above. The large monolith centered on the platform was not, as it appeared from a distance, a sarcophagus. It was a large chamber with pressure-sealed plates acting as a door. From a nearby control panel, Dr. Baum released the locks and the doors hissed open, spraying out a cloud of steam over the party. "The temperature within is akin to a sauna; not harmful to stay in but it can lead to dehydration and some skin irritation." The inside of the plates and the wall of the chamber were lined with small portals that looked almost like suction cups. Several small cables dangled and twitched from various portals, but for the most part the chamber looked inactive.

Laon peered in curiously. "I've seen this layout before. It's bigger… but this looks like the inside of an Organoid."

Dr. Baum nodded. "Very astute. The Cradle is constructed from the remains of an Organoid you are very familiar with, Doctor."

Laon frowned for a moment, but realization dawned quickly. After all, he'd only seen one Organoid in his life. "This is the Organoid that Toros and I discovered?"

Baum nodded. "Indeed. It has taken me several years to develop this unit, and it was not until Lord Vaez produced several more Organoid remains that I was able to complete the structure. Many critical parts had been damaged beyond repair when the base unit was first crushed." Laon did not miss the "Lord" title, but he seemed too surprised by the other revelations to care. Poor Laon; drowning in a torrent of information and completely ignorant of their impact on this world. All the players were assembled, all the props gathered. One more act before the plot truly unveiled.

X X X X X X X X

Barrier Zoids, as they were most commonly referred to, were the ultimate defense on Zi, perhaps even the universe. Their walls drew in nutrients from the ground, fortifying any cracks and repairing any damage. Even more astounding, the Zoid knew the proper rate of consumption to allow the soil to replenish its minerals and not drink the land dead. Burrowing under the wall was foolhardy for the Barrier Zoid's guard extended far beneath the ground and curved to form a protective shell around the piping and foundation of its protectorate. Flying over the wall was equally pointless. The shield generators atop each wall spire formed an energy field so tightly-woven that not even an insect could slide under. The shield was powered by the Guardian Zoid's core, nestled somewhere in the vast underground and guarded by the impenetrable shell.

Legend had it that the Barrier Zoids were the Zoidians' last fallback during the Deathsaurer's destructive reign. Only those who huddled terrified behind its walls lived long enough to speak of how the Deathsaurer destroyed a whole continent in just one night. Hancock had always found that story laughable, until he saw the classified footage from the Guardian Force's last battle with the beast of legend. While not very agile or fast, the Deathsaurer had the power to fire its Charged Particle Cannon for miles in every direction. The Deathsaurer could, theoretically, burn the whole world without moving an inch, provided it had enough power. Only the Barrier Zoids could withstand its power, and even then they had barely held up under the barrage of pure energy.

While the tale conjured up a fearsome image of the Deathsaurer, Hancock took some comfort in the Barrier Zoid's strength. Watching the protective shield illuminate the night a faint teal, Hancock was confident that the Backdraft could never pierce this shield, even if they used the CPC that shot down all the judge satellites. He was more concerned about Lady Prasino, who stood with him atop Arcadia's Castle, holding her pendant with both hands and looking for all the world like she was going to pass out. Her skin, damp with sweat and turning a very disturbing shade of light gray, seemed to tremble on its own; a sub-beat to the rest of her shaking body. The moment the shield connected at the highest point above the city, she slumped to her knees faster than Hancock could catch her. Old age was always his undoing and his knees hurt like hell.

"Lady Prasino!" He knelt down beside her, his knees be damned.

"I am all right." She panted. "Fylak's mind is both familiar and alien at the same time. I have spoken with her since childhood, but there are times when the size and complexity of her mind are overwhelming."

Hancock frowned. "Her?"

Lady Prasino smiled, "Fylak is far too familiar to be referred to as an 'it.' And there are times when I sense her thoughts are somewhat… feminine. I may be projecting, of course."

Odd as this was, Hancock immediately dropped the subject. Gender classifications could wait for a more boring night (not that Hancock expected such a thing in the near future). It was his intent to help her to her feet, but in the end they both relied on each other to rise up. "You told me once that the women in your family can speak with Fylak, but you don't have a daughter. Does that mean your son will take over this responsibility when he assumes leadership?"

"No. Atory will never be able to speak with Fylak. Although he has Zoidian blood within him, he doesn't have the ability to use this pendant. Zoidian traits are passed on based on gender, father to son, mother to daughter, but never both."

Hancock knew little bit about Zoidian biology, but it had never been a main interest. Not until someone he knew ended up suffering because of a birthright. "So only a daughter could assume your rank."

"Yes… though I fear the King and I will not have that option. We've tried to conceive another child with little success. Even though I'm less that 25 Zoidian, the genes still conflict. It's not unusual to have birthing complications or even difficulty conceiving a child. It's also not uncommon for the mother to die in childbirth. I thank God that I survived to see my son grow. And in a way I'm happy he'll never have to push himself like I have tonight." She didn't have to say how concerned she was for the future and who would ascend her rank. Time to change the subject.

"Was all this really necessary?" He nodded to the shimmering energy wall.

"Come now, former Chairman, surely you would have ordered a similar display for your people?"

"Not if it meant killing another person."

Lady Prasino steadied herself. "I am nowhere near dying, Chancellor, but I am drained." She rubbed her pendant absently. "The tools used to interact with Zoids were originally intended for the natives of this world. Even though we've been here for over a century, we cannot talk to Zoids with the ease of the Zoidians. It drains me terribly to speak with Fylak and activate its shield, but the people must know that what happened to Desert Flower City will not happen here."

Hancock nodded, a heavy weight in his chest. "You know that this will almost completely ruin the King's hopes for expanding Arcadia's territory. People will want Helic and Guylos' protection now more than ever."

Lady Prasino smiled, "I still have faith in my husband, and he has faith in your Guardian Force plan. Protecting people is only half the battle. If we do not cull the Backdraft, attacks will only continue. I believe your GF plan will offer a better solution than the plans of our rivals."

Before she could elaborate, one of Lady Prasino's aids stepped on to the roof. "My Queen, my Queen! You have a summons!" Such panic in her voice. Who would summon the queen of Arcadia? "It is from… it is from the Lady." Despite her pale features, Lady Prasino stood up a bit straighter and nodded. She then asked Hancock to follow her and headed for the King's conference room.

"Darling, I must leave for a time. I have been summoned by the Lady."

King Prasino frowned. "Now? This isn't the best time."

His wife nodded. "But the Lady never calls when it is the right time, you know that. I will be back in less than a week and Fylak's shield will remain until I return. My absence will not endanger our people."

"I'm concerned for _you_. Perhaps Pierce should escort you in the Storm Sworder."

"No. The Lady would never accept someone she did not invite. I will be fine and I will see you in a week." She departed without further debate.

Hancock looked from the King to where the Queen had stood, bewildered. "Who is this 'Lady?'"

"One of Angela's-"

Kenneth Gray cleared his throat, "One of the 'Queen's…'"

King Prasino rolled his eyes but also nodded his head. "One of the _Queen's_ sponsors. She's been in contact with Ange- the Queen's family for many years. I've never met her myself for the simple fact that I was never invited."

This was not what Hancock had expected. The Prasino's claimed rulership, but if they answered to some unseen power then they were not truly in control of this Kingdom. Hancock would not be a puppet to some woman lurking behind the curtains. King Prasino noted Hancock's thoughts. "I can assure you, Chancellor, that if they Lady tried to order me to follow a command I would refuse. She only acts as an advisor to my wife who holds the Lady in high regard. Apparently this rather reclusive woman helped teach the Queen conduct for politics and some social etiquette, though I suspect there was a great deal more taught than I am aware. My wife loves this Lady as a second mother, but she is strong-willed and would never let another person do the thinking for her."

Not entirely confident, but momentarily satisfied, Hancock nodded and the King continued.

"Given the current crisis, I am more convinced than ever that we must provide a force that can remove the threat of both bandits and Backdraft cells within our territory and beyond. Helic and Guylos are both pledging defense, but without some form of offense we will forever be hiding behind Fylak's walls. Chancellor Hancock, are you still certain this Guardian Force plan will work?"

"More than ever. Helic and Guylos will send armies to kill off any cells hidden within cities. That means occupation and prolonged struggles that cost many lives. A small unit, perhaps even one man, can be much more effective against the enemy. It's the difference between using a club or a scalpel."

"And you still believe this Leo person is the right choice?"

Captain Stoller stood up, "Your highness, I have some information that would support that decision. He inserted a data chip into the monitor wall. The horror of Desert Flower City flickered to life before them, detailing the death and brutality of one night. Hancock thought back to his reflections on the Deathsaurer and could suddenly see this tragedy expanded tenfold. Zi had a history of tragedies and upheavals that seemed to make the planet itself cursed. Would there be another night such as this? Not if his plan worked.

The screen cycled through various shots, including airborn views of the bombing units. The skies had been occupied by only one force. "These shots came from the Backdraft force!"

Stoller nodded. "Indeed. I still have some allies among the Backdraft ranks; and while they are uncomfortable within the organization, they stay and send me what information they can. I asked for this footage so that we might be able to study their tactics and maybe determine where their main force hides. But I discovered something a bit more important for our cause." He paused an image and zoomed in to a ground shot. A Hover Cargo huddled beneath an energy shield on the ground below with a swarm of people seeking similar shelter. It did Hancock some good to see people assisting each other. Too often in crisis the masses broke down into an unruly mob and stepped on each other for survival. Stoller, however, focused on an area outside the protective field.

Hancock had seen the Liger Zero Panzer several times and it never ceased to impress him. That such a Zoid as versatile and ripe with potential existed was a true thrill to anyone who appreciated Zoids. He was so taken in by the Zero that he almost didn't notice the beat-up looking Command Wolf next to it. Stoller said, "This is Leo's Command Wolf. While the Panzer was the main threat against the raid, this older Zoid still shot down an impressive number of enemy units. What's more, early estimates indicate that the pilot's aim was far superior to his normal standard."

The King nodded. "Your theory on how situations give rise to better piloting?"

"Exactly, sire. During most official battles, this Leo person couldn't hit a Gojulas with a grenade launcher, but in this battle he managed to strike over a dozen enemy Zoids using a sniper rifle. That kind of difference only makes me more convinced that he is an ideal candidate to serve as a guardian for this area. He only needs the proper training to bring out his full potential."

"Ah yes, _that_ little issue." The King had listened to both Hancock and Stoller argue for the role of GF trainer for weeks now. Hancock knew from experience how a topic could become poisonous if people talked about it enough. How many times had Hancock endured a prolonged debate over what should have been a simple decision? "Very well. This situation has pressed the need for a stronger defense force. We will invite this Leo to Arcadia in person." Arcadia did not have reliable communication lines, and Hancock knew from experience how hard it was to resist an in-person invite. "Captain Stoller will train this new 'Guardian.'"

"No!" Hancock's outburst set the whole room on its side. "Sire, this was my idea, my design, I have the right to see it through."

"Indeed you do, Chancellor, but situations dictate action, as I'm sure you are aware. This pilot will have to face Backdraft cells, and who better to train someone to fight the Backdraft than one of its former members? I would rather have you focus on your strengths. I want you to allocate sufficient funds to train defense forces for our towns. We've now gathered enough financing to purchase a decent compliment of Zoids for homeland defense. I'm expanding your role to organize a defensive military. While our Guardian cuts away at the antagonists of our world, our defensive forces shall keep our people safe. Am I clear, Chancellor?"

Hancock nodded, defeated. "Clear, your highness." The meeting ended and Hancock was the first one out with Stoller close behind.

"Chancellor, a moment please."

"I believe you have more pressing issues, _Captain_. Don't you need to contact our new Guardian?"

Stoller fell into step and Hancock would not be caught playing a childish game. He would not change his pace nor try to lose the Captain. He'd dealt with far more imposing men the same way. "Chancellor, it was not my goal to sabotage your plan. I agree with your idea, but I believe that I am best suited to train an independent agent."

"Based on what? On the fact that this pilot will have to face the very people you served?"

A small flash of anger rippled Stoller's expression, but he hid it quickly. "The Backdraft I belonged to would never have conducted such an attack. Count Umbra wanted to earn the adoration of the people, not terrorize them. He wanted to create a whole new style of competition. This new Backdraft wants to burn all of Zi."

Hancock did not break stride. "And just how did the Count expect to build a more entertaining set of matches? By raiding existing battles? By destroying Zoids and ruining a team's chances in the legitimate circuit? How many lives did you crush, Captain Stoller, and how can I trust you to protect lives now. Answer that question and I will not make issue of the King's decision."

Stoller nodded as if he'd been expecting such a challenge. "Tell me, former Chairman, did you ever keep track of the teams the Backdraft 'crushed?'" Hancock did not dignify that with an answer. What kind of perverse interest would he have in a team that had lost everything to a cheating band of cowards? Stoller continued.

"In my time at BD, I battled at least thirty different teams, losing only to the Blitz Team. I made it a point to keep track of the teams I defeated, even as my interest in battling Bit Cloud began to cloud my judgment. Of the twenty-nine teams I defeated, only five completely withdrew from battles. Seven of the teams were able to save up enough to buy new Zoids and made an impressive run in the legitimate battle circuit. Five teams joined the ZBC to get back at BD. Three more teams became mercenaries who would pilot other Zoids and earn short-handed teams a victory. Two teams became announcers for local Zoids bars and gained some fame commenting on battles. The last seven teams decided to join Backdraft, and I had the pleasure of training many of them."

"Turning your defeated into the next generation of cheaters."

"Not at all. Some Backdraft members relied on cheating devices to win battles for them. I remember one particularly weasley pilot named Major Polta. He had next to no piloting talent, so instead he rigged every match. The troops under my command were all trained to fight with the power they already possessed. The pilots I trained knew how to press an advantage and not back down, but they never set up magnetic fields or substituted other Zoids mid-battle.

"My point, Chancellor, is that while the BD did present many teams with a tremendous obstacle, many teams were able to rise above a short-term loss and go on to earn respectable positions within one organization or another. The teams that gave up completely were too weak to have made it in the ZBC. The Backdraft just hastened their demise. The challenges of the old BD helped make pilots stronger and many of us took pride in that. I can promise you that there are many in this new BD regime who will oppose tonight's bombing. Backdraft's goal was never to break Zoid pilots. Our goal was to push people to pilot better, learn more, become stronger. Only the weakest and most selfish members tried to obtain personal gain. That is why you can trust me with this project. I will push this Guardian farther than he could ever believe. I will make him a pilot that would even give Bit Cloud some pause. I promise you that I will make a protector out of him."

Hancock was silent for a brief time. He had learned to read people fairly well in his time within the ZBC and was not easily swayed by speeches. Yet Stoller did seem sincere in his intention. "Honor among bandits" as the saying went. "The point seems moot, given the King's decision. I will see for myself if you can accomplish this goal. For now it seems I have to create a budget for the home defense force. Excuse me."

Stoller kept stride with him. "Before you go, I have a suggestion. There are bound to be members within BD who oppose Alteil's actions. For many of us, Alteil is acting grossly out of character. This will make BD members uncomfortable and many will flee. We can quickly strengthen Arcadia by granting them asylum."

Now Hancock stopped. The audacity of such an idea was appalling. "First you take over the project I conceived, and now you tell me to bring in criminals as part of a military force? The King may give you some leeway, Stoller, but don't think for a minute that I'm going to simply let you do as you want."

The Captain of the Guard appeared unfazed. "I am merely making a suggestion. You may not be able to forget my history, but the King understands my desire to change. Many other BD members will feel the same way. You are of course free to ignore my advice and let the rogue members wander about, but doing so would cost us an important source of both pilots and Zoids. I am confident that you could train such a force into a respectable military unit. You served as a drill instructor for several years, did you not? What's more, I know that you have worked outside the military channels to ensure the peace, so you already know how to put out word that Arcadia is searching for pilots. The choice is, as always, yours." Stoller saluted and turned to walk back down the hallway.

Hancock stood brooding for several minutes. This adopted home of his was just as threatened as anywhere, and they did need pilots. But he could not forgive the Backdraft who had cost him his career and were now responsible for untold deaths in one night. He would recruit as many pilots as he could from Arcadia's population. At the same time, he knew never to let personal feelings cloud judgments involving lives. Although he hated it, he knew he'd never forget Stoller's advice. It would prick at the back of his mind any time he sent out a call for recruits, and if the need became dire enough, he would give in to the inevitable.

He hoped it would never come to that.

X X X X X X X X

Fire replaced his blood. That was the only explanation for the burning that tore at him from the inside. It seared his veins and boiled his heart. It seemed so strange to have a fire raging within him while the outside world was a hazy blur of purple mixed with a faint trail of crimson. Somehow that flow of shinning color, as warm as the flames within his body, didn't fit. He didn't fit in this world either. Not like the way he didn't fit in that base with the angry men, not the way rust didn't belong on one of his dear Zoid friends. This place would kill him. It was far more lethal.

It was so hard to think, and the pain only made it more difficult. The flames moved up and down his body like some chaotic tide. Was he dying? Was this supposed to be the end? Fear used to grip him in situations like this, but then he'd become a little numb to it all. One fear always obscured the others, and the memory came to him despite the pain. After that night, nothing scared him as deeply.

He'd been trying to crawl his way back through the air ducts to his friend with a brand new pilot stick. 12516 had killed another Zoid, but the piloting stick wasn't damaged. He felt bad, taking a part from a dead Zoid, but this would help free another. That was okay, wasn't it? It was better than just letting the part go to waste without helping anyone. The angry men didn't want to help anybody, and since everything the angry men did was bad, helping someone must be good. All he had to do was be the opposite of the angry, dark men and he would be happier. He wouldn't have a reason to be as angry as them or as mean as 12516.

That was why he wanted to help that old Zoid, the one he named Fang. The only reason he left Fang again was to get new parts so the Zoid could leave one day, and maybe he could leave too. Leave the angry men behind. Leave the beatings behind. Find a place where he could be good and happy. He'd taken lots of parts to Fang. Leg joints, wiring, new screws and bolts; all taken when the techs weren't watching, and nothing was ever missed because it all seemed so small. But all this small stuff meant so much to Fang. He could tell the old Zoid was happy to have someone fixing him again. Fang hoped to be free too.

He'd threaded a small piece of wire from the old hangar through the air duct so he could find his way back; but the wire had snapped and now he was wandering around, trying to find his friend again. He wanted to get this piloting stick to Fang soon because it might be the last part Fang needed. Maybe after the stick worked, Fang could leave and take him along. That would be good.

Too bad he was lost. He wanted to leave now. Where was Fang? In the dark, everything looked the same. It was hot and the metal didn't feel good. He had to take off his uniform to fit into the duct, but that meant he felt really sore after getting out. Some of the medics thought he had a skin problem (not that the angry men cared). They gave him some kind of cream for the sores, but what he really needed was to get out of here. Then he wouldn't have to crawl through ducts anymore.

"To say I'm disappointed, Doctor, would be totally inadequate."

Voices up ahead, but none of them belonged to the angry men. As eager as he was to see Fang again, he followed the voices. "I did warn you that something like this would happen, Count. You cannot blame me for the works of nature."

"I ordered you to create a set of pilots that defied nature. Pilots so skilled they defied every odd."

"And yet I am powerless against the random mutations. Their bodies are rejecting the gene therapy. Of all the candidates, only one has not suffered any sort of rejection. All the others have been put into cryo-freeze." His heart got really tight when he heard that. Cryo-freeze. What was that? Was that what happened to all the others who went away? "I suspect 12515's age is what helps him. Being the youngest, his body is adapting to the changes faster."

The other voice was getting angrier. "And yet all the reports state that he is unwilling to follow orders and is prone to emotional outbursts unbefitting a soldier." They were talking about him and how he wasn't doing what the angry men wanted. Good. Maybe they'd make everything stop since it was going so bad.

He finally found the room where the voices kept talking. It was on the other side of the base, away from where all the trainees learned how to fight and hurt people. He couldn't make out the people too well through the air vent. One person was really old and had a cane. He seemed really mean. The other guy was also old, but not as much, and was dressed kind of like a medic.

The medic guy said, "I only recently learned that 12515 has been smuggling equipment from the hangar and from salvaged Zoids. Surely you have been aware of this for longer than myself. Why do you allow him to move so freely?"

The older man smiled. His smile seemed to make the entire room cold. "I am always eager to test the resources of my servants. I thought that if this young man has the ingenuity to repair that broken-down Zoid, he might yet prove useful. Such is not the case."

They knew about Fang! He knew he should leave, should hurry and find his friend and leave tonight. But he stayed because something about these two guys kept him from moving. He needed to hear more.

"And what of the extra recruit?" The oldest guy asked. "Has he at least gleamed some wisdom from this farce?"

That should have made the man in the lab coat angry, but it didn't. "He's learned to pilot a Zoid well enough, but he's far too brutal. He attacks everything around him and doesn't stop until the Zoids are completely destroyed. He has quite the vicious streak."

The old guy nodded. "Very well. I shall deal with him. In the meantime, I am suspending this operation."

"Before you do that, Count, let me show you something." He slid a packet over the older man, the Count, who opened it up and looked at the papers inside. The medic guy kept talking. "Based on my study of the DNA implantation of the subjects, I believe I can now inject the genes into a zygote and replace the necessary strands. We can then give birth to a perfect candidate and raise the subject from the start. No genetic rejection, no personality quirks, it will be exactly what you desire."

The Count nodded. "Congratulations, Doctor, you just redeemed yourself. However, I will not overlook the money spent on this current endeavor. Put 12515 in the freezer with the others. We may have use for them in the future."

Freezer… they were going to send him away with the others. They'd send angry men to his room and when they didn't see him there they'd go looking for Fang! He started backing up through the duct that was too narrow to let him turn around. He began to crawl through the darkness faster than ever; he didn't care how much it hurt. His friend was on the other side of the darkness, waiting for him. They'd have to escape tonight or they'd never get away!

And now Leo was in darkness again. A wet darkness that left a metallic taste in his mouth and nose. The taste almost reminded him of blood, and he knew that was the bit of red that was seeping away from him. This was how it was going to end: he was swallowed by the darkness and Fang would sit in a hangar again, maybe forever.

He no longer feared death, but regret took hold of his heart, a dark coldness against the fire in his body. At first Leo was confused. He'd never regretted his life. It had been painful, it had been dark for a time, but once he'd gotten away he'd lived as free as the wind. Losing Zoids battles didn't bother him, nor did bouncing from team to team. He hadn't liked staying in one place anyway. Yet there was something vague, ethereal, poking his mind and reminding him that he'd missed out on something good, something important.

_"Do not despair"_ A voice came from some unseen source. It seemed to resound both within him and in the surrounding darkness. It was a calm voice, gentle, motherly. _"Do not despair. This will not be your end._"

A loud pulse rippled through the void, like a giant heartbeat. It was slow, almost sleepy, but strong. The fire within Leo's body surged with each beat, but somehow his mind could only focus on the voice. _"This one is waiting for you." _A shinning ball of blue fire illuminated the sinking depths. It did not seem to give off heat yet its brightness illuminated the entire area. _"This is your partner. Together, you will battle great heresy and protect those you love._"

Partner? He already had a partner, Fang. And somehow he felt that "love" didn't just refer to his friends. The way the voice spoke, it implied something much stronger. Who did he love that much? He didn't know what that was until a gentle warmth took hold of his body and lifted him upwards. The dark swirl of purple lightened until he broke its surface and looked, bleary-eyed and exhausted, into the most beautiful face he'd ever seen.

X X X X X X X X

Things never moved slow for Leena. In the middle of a battle with ballistics flying everywhere, in a shopping spree, in a dash to catch and punish Bit, her life was never slow. When a loud crack split her hears and Leo began to fall backwards into the birthing pool, time moved slower than she would have thought possible. Leo's fall took an eternity and every drop of blood that seeped out of him seemed to hover in the air. Even as he fell into the pool's waters, it seemed as if some deity had decided to set the universe in slow motion. Leena did not like things slow. She was moving the moment she cried out Leo's name, running towards the man in the pilot's uniform, the man with the gun. He had a grazed glint in his eyes and a twisted smile that seemed to skewer his face even more as he turned the gun on her.

He was moving slowly, she was not. The gun hadn't even reached a decent angle before Leena crossed the distance between them and raised her right fist, cocking it back and releasing all her rage in one blow. Teeth came loose and bones crunched under the impact. It felt good to have her knuckles leave dents in the man's jaw, real good. Leena had never felt such satisfaction, even when she blew Bit away for stealing her treats. This guy had bombed a whole city, killed dozens—maybe hundreds—of people, and now he may have killed Leo. Leena couldn't forgive someone like this, and there was no showing mercy on someone who probably didn't understand the concept.

The Backdraft pilot's eyes rolled into the back of his skull as he dropped on the floor with a delicious thud. Leena didn't take time to gloat, instead she spun around and sprinted to the edge of the birthing pool and beyond. She didn't hesitate to dive into the water. Leo could have sunken to the bottom by now. He'd come with her willingly because of some feeling or premonition and now he'd been hurt because of her stupid feeling. Leo always seemed to suffer because of her. The Diloforce attack, the Valley of the Rarehertz fiasco, every time Leena had needed help, Leo had been there while she hadn't been of any use. She wouldn't accept that. Leo, she thought, I'm going to save you.

The water tasted like metal and was much heavier than being in the ocean. It was also a lot darker. The light violet ripples only lasted a little bit towards the surface while the rest of the pool was a murky purple or pitch black. Small bits of blood flowed among the stagnant waters, rising upwards. Leena tried not to focus on them and instead swam towards the bottom. It was hard to move in her battle outfit. Her wide-rimmed boots and the flaps wrapped around her hips only slowed her down, and the metallic pigtails atop her head kept wiggling in the water, making her movement even more awkward. She took just a second to pull off the headpiece, kick her boots off, and detach her costume's skirt. On any given day, Leena would have recoiled at the thought of giving up her battling outfit, but this was more important. Free of all her awkward garments, she swam down faster than before while her trappings floated into the dark recesses of the pool.

Leo floated at the edge of the darkness, unmoving. Leena's lung started to burn and the water played tricks with her eyes. She kept seeing small flashes of light dance across Leo's skin. She'd never heard of water making a person hallucinate, but this wasn't normal liquid. Given everything that had been happening lately, Leena was beginning to really hate Ancient Zoidians. Everything they left behind caused trouble.

Looping one arm under Leo's arms and across his chest, Leena began to pull upward while kicking as hard as she could. If she'd known something like this would have happened, she'd have taken underwater rescue courses. Actually, if she'd known this would have happened, she wouldn't have ever become a Zoid Warrior. Everything that had happened since before the start of the season was so violent and unfair. What had happened to the world?

The surface seemed to always be an eternity away from them. It was like being trapped behind a glass ceiling. No matter how far Leena swam with the injured Leo in tow, the water always stretched beyond her. Her lungs screamed betrayal for her denial of air, and her vision was starting to darken. Just a little more, she told herself, just a little farther and we'll be safe. Don't pass out now. Leo's counting on you.

Something broke the pool's surface up ahead, and a gloved hand reached down the infinite distance and took hold of Leena's hand. With one tug the distance between them and air closed to nothing, and Leena gulped a welcome breath of air. Brad Hunter reached down and helped pull Leo out of the water. "Are you two okay?"

Leena coughed and rasped, "Leo was shot. His chest…"

Brad was already opening Leo's shirt and pushing on his chest. "Are you sure? There's no bullet hole?" Indeed there wasn't. There wasn't any sign of a wound on Leo's body, yet the blood had soaked into his shirt. Had she imagined the wound? Had something else happened? Her eyes were still playing tricks on her after all. Leo's chest still shone with those streaks of light dancing across his muscles every time Brad pushed. For a moment Leena wondered if she was going crazy, but the look of confusion on Brad's face confirmed that his wasn't a hallucination. "What in the world-"

Bright violet water gushed out of Leo's mouth and he wheezed for breath. His eyes were unfocused and his expression dazed. Leena leaned over him and cupped his face in her hands. "Leo? Leo, can you hear me?" His gazed focused on her and he nodded, smiling a little.

"We need to go." Brad looped one of Leo's arms over his shoulder and Leena did likewise. "I stopped by the control room to find you guys and now we've got about twenty minutes to get back to the hangar before this place blows." The countdown. Leena had completely forgotten.

Over in the corner lay the Backdraft pilot, still unconscious. For a moment Leena thought to get him as well, but Leo's legs wouldn't work and his body was nothing but a heavy burden that Brad could not carry in just ten minutes. It was either risk two friends to save an enemy, or sacrifice the enemy to make sure her friends lived. Leena knew she should be a little more agonized by the decision; that she should value the unconscious man's life. She couldn't; however terrible she might feel later, this pilot had brought the tragedy on himself. She would not risk people she cared about for someone who first put them in danger.

It took fifteen minutes to haul Leo back to the hangar, and his body still wouldn't move right. His eyes were only partially focused and he was as heavy as one of her Gun Sniper's missile pods. There was no way he'd be able to pilot his Zoid outside. Leena glanced at his Command Wolf. Leo had an affection for it that Leena just couldn't understand. Maybe Zoids were alive, but unless they started moving around on their own like the Cannon Fort, Leena had to wonder just how aware they truly were. Even so, she knew that Leo would be heartbroken if his Zoid got blown away with the base, and there wasn't enough time to rig up a harness to drag Leena's Gun Sniper. She looked at her Zoid, so shiny and with all those beautiful cannons and missiles. She'd customized it specifically to match her fighting style and dreamed of the day she reduced Naomi Fluegel's Gun Sniper to a heap of melted slag, thus proving who was the better Gun Sniper pilot.

Then she looked at Leo and remembered all the times he'd been there for her; all the times he'd sacrificed himself to help her. Beating Naomi seemed like a stray bit of mist at the edge of Leena's vision that blew away with the smallest breeze. She and Brad hauled Leo over to the Command Wolf and lifted Leo inside. Leena then climbed in and positioned herself to pilot. She gave her Gun Sniper one mournful glance as the cockpit closed. While it couldn't compare to the friendship she had with a fellow human, Leena did regret having to leave it to such a cruel end. But she had to choose and she'd rather sacrifice something of her own than substitute Leo's Zoid. It would be too selfish.

"Sorry…" Leo managed to gasp behind Leena. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be." Leena smiled, though she knew that wouldn't relieve Leo's burden. A Zoid would die to save him. Leena knew that would tear him up inside, but at least he'd survive to feel that pain.

The Shadow Fox bounded out of the hangar first. The Command Wolf, Fang, grinded to a run. Piloting this Zoid was like trying to sprint through water. Despite all the improvements Leo had made to the Zoid, it was still a clunker.

Jamie did not meet them outside the base. He had vanished. "Jamie," Brad called over the radio, "where are you?"

A signal flare shot up from farther away and the Zoids sped forward. They cut through the waves of sand dunes, navigating by the fading light of the flare. Leena didn't understand why Jamie would use such an antiquated system to call them. Maybe his radio had been knocked out during the fight with that flying monster, which hadn't been outside the base either.

They reached the last dune under the flare with only a few moments until the base exploded. Before crossing the last dune, Brad signaled the others. "As soon as we reach the flare, power down your Zoid and get out of the cockpit." Leena didn't have time to ask why. The answer presented itself beforehand.

A dozen ZBC Zoids, ranging from a Pteras to a Shield Liger, aimed their cannons at the approaching team. The destroyed Backdraft Zoid lay on the bed of a Gustav's trailer, and Jamie smiled regretfully next to his Raynos. Five armed soldiers stood guard over them.

Brad sighed. "They arrived just after we shot down the enemy Zoid. They came with me into the base and found the countdown. It was all I could do to let them use Jamie as collateral while I went down to get you two. Just get out of the Zoids and let them sort this out."

Leena frowned. This was twice now she'd been arrest for doing something good.

X X X X X X X X

Damn bitch. Raid woke up to a blinding pain in his jaw. The last thing he remembered was shooting one of those stupid ground-pounders and watching him sink to the birthing pool. He'd get a up-close experience with an overloading Zoid birthing pool. Raid had turned to take care of his girlfriend, but the freak girl was already on top of him. She had swung her fist, there'd been a white hot flash of pain, and now he was lying on the floor and unable to move his mouth. Damn bitch.

He tried to stand up, but his jaw made him lie back down, it hurt so bad. His mind played over the events before that psycho bitch had hit him. He'd been about to leave the base for the ZBC to find… then those pilots showed up. He remembered that insane Raynos that didn't give a damn about crashing or dying. That guy was even crazier than the girl. He had nearly collided with Raid's Salamander when the Zoid suddenly went haywire and crashed… then he'd had to retreat into the base to get another ride, only there weren't any Glaive Quamas left in the hangar. So he'd decided to take one of the Zoids that had entered the base, and as a parting gift he'd decided to take care of the pilots as well. Give that freak flyer something to remember him by.

It'd felt good to shoot that one guy. It'd felt damn good. Raid was freer than any man on Zi. He wasn't held by gravity, or rules. He could even kill if he wanted. That was a rush that few people had the guts to handle. He did what he wanted and no one could catch him. Even if a tripped-out pilot shot him down, he'd get another ride. Then he'd come back stronger than ever and show everyone who ruled the skies. Nothing held him any more, not even those illusions people called morals.

In the middle of his newfound boldness (still somewhat daunted by the pain in his jaw), Raid's mind pricked with some fear. He'd missed something. Something important. Something that didn't allow him to waste time… time… timer.

He hadn't shut off the timer. How long had he been knocked out? Oh hell…

Pain was just an afterthought now. Had to get up. Had to move. Get out of here. No way he'd die underground. No way he'd die without anyone knowing. He was going to be big; the top gun of Zi. He wouldn't die underground, away from his sky!

Hard to move. Still a little woozy from the knock out. That bitch. Just get to the control room. Shut it down. Take a Zoid and go. Be back in the sky in no time. Shoot that bitch's Zoid and get that crazy flier. Payback. He would be the best. He'd live through this.

Zoid pool was glowing now; a bright teal that killed all the shadows in the room. There was still time though. Still time to reach the control room. Why did the idiots who designed this place put the steps so far away? His leg was throbbing. Must of landed on it or twisted his ankle in the fall. Damn bitch.

Pool was brighter now. Hard to see the steps. Too bright. Damn it, not gonna die here! Not now. Not like this. That goddamn bitch!

The world vanished in a flash of blue and white.

X X X X X X X X

Leena watched the explosion from a safe distance, locked inside a small office that sat in the belly of a Whale King. The land underneath the base vanished in a flash of light that reached into the sky and seemed to stab the clouds. The surrounding judge tempest had been wiped out by the force of the blast. Now all that remained was a smoking crater lined with glass born from melted sand. It terrified her to think what would have happened if they hadn't left the base in time.

And how lucky were the ZBC soldiers who came in late (as usual) to the fight. If Brad hadn't warned them to get away, they'd have been caught in the blast and there'd be even more lost lives. Leena's mind briefly touched on that Backdraft pilot who shot Leo. The man had gotten what he deserved, but Leena still felt uncomfortable that she had been the one to deliver his punishment. She'd left him to die in order to save Leo, just as she'd left her Gun Sniper behind to save Leo's Zoid. She didn't regret either decision, but it didn't make her feel better either.

She plucked at the itchy jumpsuit the ZBC officers had given her before locking the door to the office. After medics had taken Leo away, Jamie, Brad, and Leena had all been hustled into separate areas to be "debriefed." Interrogated might have been a better word. Her skin was still warm from the lights that had focused on her. A lot of people were blaming the Blitz Team for that explosion.

The Blitz Team… Leena regarded her battle costume, what was left of it. It lay on the floor, unnaturally stiff and useless. Leena had enjoyed wearing that outfit. She'd taken pride in how she made it look good without showing off half as much skin as Naomi's outfit or the clothes of the Tasker sisters. But now the metals from the Zoid pool had seeped into the fabrics and somehow hardened the material to the point that it might as well be a lead-lined suit. The medics had insisted that Leena take a decontamination shower, and she was pretty sure that several soldiers had tried to peek in on her. The only replacement clothing had been an extra jumpsuit for techs, and Leena found the thing unbearably tacky and itchy. It was a miserable thing to wear.

In a way, her current outfit was just like the Blitz Team, and its demise. The truth had struck her while changing. Her Gun Sniper was destroyed, Bit was out of commission, and his Liger was damaged. The Blitz Team no longer had a full compliment of Zoids and the ZBC officers were waving a lot of fines for interfering with their search. Leena considered charging them for saving their lives; enough money to buy a new Zoid. Leena momentarily wondered about the Cannon Fort's whereabouts.

All in all, the Blitz Team had suffered a blow that they couldn't handle. Without Bit and with their strength more than halved, Leena couldn't see the team recovering. Just like her battle costume, the team was broken and useless, and now all that was left was an itchy, uncomfortable feeling that made Leena unhappy.

A knock came from the door. Must be someone new since none of the officers had shown her that much courtesy. "Come in." They'd better be coming to take her to see Leo. His safety and care were the only things keeping her from kicking the door down, grabbing her friends, and kick every ZBC soldier in this entire Whale King square in the a-

"Leena. I'm so glad to see you safe." Sen Vaez disarmed her with a smile.

X X X X X X X X

Author's Note: Oh my gosh, I killed Leena's Gun Sniper!

Well, I seem to be tearing apart the New Century universe brick by brick. What comes next for our heroes? What will Leena do? And what's up with Leo's skin?

All this and more next chapter! Reviews are always appreciated.


	17. Parting Ways

Battle Dawn

Chapter 17: Parting Ways

by Silver

Author's Note: I must set the record for the longest interval between chapters. Shame on me.

Truthfully, it's been a very exciting time for me. I'm at a new, more exciting job, I'm close to getting a new home, and I'm exploring several hobbies in my life, including Gundam and Zoid models. So, I guess the tradeoff is I write even less.

However, I am still committed to finishing this story and I thank all the reviewers for their support. And thanks once again to Zeropioneer for an excellent proofread.

I forget if I've already upgraded this story to an "R" rating, but I'm going to do so after posting this chapter. It's not that I don't think that the readers can't handle a more mature storyline, but when I do publish a physical book I want to have plenty of practice at avoiding the wrath of "soccer moms." ;)

On with the chapter!

X X X X X X X X

The Arcadian landscape blurred into a collage of emerald and dirt-hued patches, tinted a deep navy by the waning night. Angela pulled her jacket's warmth closer while maintaining a firm, somewhat frightened grip on the Roadskipper's harness. While almost comically small in comparison to its larger Zoid brethren, the Roadskipper still dwarfed most humans by several feet. Its body and head angled almost parallel to the ground with its legs racing each other along the dirt road, leaving a large dust trail in its wake. Any resistance from the chilling pre-morning air fell quickly as the wind split and arched along the Roadskipper's curved beak. The contrast of its avian appearance to its inability to take flight added some irony to its image, but its speed made this inexpensive mount invaluable to the people of the southern regions. Gustavs, Hover Cargos, and Whale Kings were almost a myth in the rural lands. The people could not live so lavishly, and Angela loved them for that.

A long time ago, a foolish young girl had nearly been drawn in by Jusight's sparkling image, until a wise old woman appeared from the mists of Zi and showed her the hidden image. The more glamorous and dazzling a culture became, the more problems and dangers lurked in the shadows. As martial issues, violence, sloth, and greed developed a strong choke on the people, the larger society would heap more trappings to distract everyone's attention from the truth. Argos had more than its share of problems, but Angela's husband never tried slight-of-hand with their people. They confronted their problems, counseled both families and youth as a community, tended the land together, and dreamed of a future brighter than any building or trinket. Angela would give her life for her husband's dreams and her people's happiness. It was these desires, not the summons themselves, that drove her to meet with the Lady.

Truly, someone with the Lady's resources could bring woe to all of Arcadia and level Argos if she wished. Fylak would not be able to repel an attack from such a woman. Unlike Helic and Guylos, the Lady understood subtlety and stealth, often using five people to accomplish more than a battalion of soldiers could ever dream. For all this terrible power, Angela did not fear the Lady. She would even resist a call if she felt it was not just; but in all her years she'd never known the Lady to intend ill on anyone.

Not that she was a saint. The Lady used people, perhaps even wounded many, but brought her no delight. Angela had seen her genuinely agonize over decisions on several occasions. One such event resulted with her sending a person to his doom while crippling an Ancient Zoidian base used by bandits as a staging ground for a dangerous offensive. With the base's resources, the berserkers could have burned the whole region and scattered the ashes however they wished. The Lady saw the threat and intervened.

She'd sought out a man; a mercenary of reputable skill and greed. An anonymous e-mail told the man of a treasure buried within a newly-occupied base, just below the power core. Driven by his lust for wealth, the mercenary expertly slithered past the base's overlords and forced his way into the underlying power grid. In doing so, he triggered an ancient security system that brought the base down, crushing the man and many escaping bandits. The loss of the base set the stage for the marauders' eventual breakup. The lands beyond the ZBC's protection were saved without even knowing, and all at the cost of one mercenary whose motives were anything but charitable. Yet the Lady wept for the man that night, and thanked him for his sacrifice. The Lady had a ruthlessness and disillusionment that came with her age, yet she never stopped thinking about the people she knew, even in passing.

Angela reflected—not for the first time—the disparity between the Lady's wishes and actions. She ensured the world weaved itself tight and strong by pulling a string here and there every few years, but chose to stay away in the shadows, living in a region on the borders of Arcadia. Her isolation seemed like punishment for past crimes and her secret acts a means of penance.

Gone were the greens of the farms and the tightly-packed dirt roads of Arcadia. Now the desert's sands chipped at her goggles as a chill night wind stole almost all warmth from her body. She'd invited the Lady to come live in Argos several times, but in each case the Lady had replied, "This is where I belong." That ended the conversation every time, and it took Angela a good several months to muster up the courage to ask again.

Amid the shifting sands and freezing air a small mountain range thrust its way upward on the horizon. Angela nudged her Roadskipper a little more, not wanting to waste time on the trek upward. The Lady's impatience aside, Angela did not want to be away from Argos for very long. Fylak would defend the city well enough but these were troubled times even without the Backdraft's terrorism. Governments were already growling at each other, reaching for land with greedy hands and completely oblivious to the needs and wishes of those who already dwelt on the contested soil. Now the emboldened Backdraft threatened to ignite the firestorm that had been building over the years. One little spark would be all it took for Guylos and Helic to sever their ties and take up the old ways of war. If the two superpowers came to blows, Arcadia and all the independent lands would be crushed no matter who emerged the victor. Angela did not want to be away from the affairs of state, not when even the smallest event could end all their hopes.

The Lady knew this situation better than anyone, of course, so this had to be important for her to send for Angela, who hoped this matter would be as short as it was urgent.

The Roadskipper sprinted up a path that had long been carved out and carefully maintained along the mountain. No rocks blocked the way and the cliff face was remarkably solid. Almost no apparent erosion despite the sand's terrible winds. If not for this route, Angela would have been forced to abandon the Roadskipper at the base and make her way up on her own power. It would have taken the better part of a day to trek up to the top, but the Lady's preparations cut the time down to half an hour. At the summit stood a small domed building. A fair sized observation deck leveled away from the curved structure and overlooked the massive desert, but its true purpose was to observe the stars that shone so brightly over the desert. Angela could see a figure standing at a telescope on the deck, peering past the double moons of So and Ae at the worlds that lay far beyond Zi's sight. Somewhere out there was the planet Earth, home of many Arcadian namesakes. Angela often wondered what became of humanity's cradle. Did they suffer the same threat of war? Did power flow to only a few people or was it more distributed? If her ancestors had left Earth on their voyage among the stars, Angela decided that Earth must have had its share of problems as well.

It seemed for one terrible moment that mankind was trapped by their petty arguments and greed. No matter where they went, people's problems followed. Perhaps it was better to say that humans carried all their issues with them; always trying to outrun a part of themselves. Not even the Lady could resist such a force forever.

Angela left such doubts with the Roadskipper and entered the building without knocking. If the Lady invited someone, they didn't have to waste time with formalities. Even without that telescope the Lady probably saw Angela approaching several miles away. Since she had not moved from her post on the balcony, Angela knew exactly where to go. For a moment she toyed with the idea of out-waiting the Lady and forcing her to come inside and to interact on Angela's terms, but such an act would be selfish and stupid.

The main Foyer was completely sealed off from the rest of the building. The area was a chalky white that glowed with varying tints of blue and navy from the moonlight that shined down through a skylight. Several closed doors circled the room, all closed off or darkened from within. Most would think the Lady was discouraging interest in her home. Quite the opposite, really. After all, who could resist exploring a room that the host would rather keep hidden?

During Angela's youth she'd dared to venture into the darkened areas and the Lady watched her every step, eager to see how much courage the young girl could muster. "You're either very brave for making it this far," the Lady had said when Angela entered her bedroom, "or you are a fool. If you are indeed brave then there's much I can teach you; but I will not teach a fool. There are already enough fools ruling the world now."

Angela shirked off the memory and the millions others invoked by every grain of dust in this large, empty building.

The far wall bulged into a perfect semi-cylinder to encase an elevator. Considered a luxury in the rural regions, Angela had no use for elevators. Instead she followed a metal rail staircase that curved upwards into a portion of the ceiling that was significantly lower than the skylight. A small entertainment area encircled the stairway's emergence. Several large plush chairs arrayed around a table with a built-in holo-projector. All chairs faced the opening and had a clear view of the stairway just beyond the table's edge. Anyone enjoying a show would instantly see a guest or family member arriving from below, but not fast enough to turn off the program.

Angela did not know what programs the Lady or her family watched, but she doubted they watched much of anything at all. Probably the news and other shows of importance, though the Lady could actually lecture much of the press on how to gather information. In the corner stood what looked like a statue of an Organoid. Its body was completely gray and its eyes a dark black. The crests on its head dipped downward then peaked upward slightly. It made Angela's heart clench a little, but she focused on her appointment and weaved past the chairs and followed a wide hallway, the only illuminated path, and emerged onto the deck. The Lady had not moved.

She was an elderly woman, though she did not look half her true age. Her skin was just beginning to sag around her face, and the red dot on her forehead still held its basic roundness, with a small flaw here and there. Her hair danced the line between white and blue, a beautiful shade that glistened in the moonlight. Her body did not hunch or wobble when she moved, but it was not as quick as she might have wished. The only parts of her body that truly reflected her experiences were her eyes. The Lady had been through many changes over the decades: grief, vengeance, joy, sorrow. Every shift in her emotional health was carved around her eyes. Now they seemed to grow colder every time Anglea matched the Lady's gaze. So many wrinkles, such a tired look. Her care for Zi left her drained within. Her eyes were older than the mountain itself.

Nevertheless, the Lady embraced Angela tightly. "Welcome back to my home. Thank you for coming so quickly."

"I know you wouldn't call without reason, but I cannot be away for too long. Is there some way I can help you?"

The Lady smiled, "A question that goes right to the topic without dealing with nonsense yet sounds respectful and modest. You learned your lessons well. Come, I need to gather a few things before I introduce you to my other guest." She escorted Angela back into the house and down the hallway. Lights flickered on overhead and shut off again as they past, enclosing the travelers in a bubble of light amidst the darkness. The Lady turned at one unremarkable door and walked inside. The room illuminated automatically, revealing dozens of portraits and photos along the walls and shelves. As the Lady went over to a nearby desk and explored its contents, Angela observed the pictures. She'd met a few of these people during her tutelage under the Lady. They came to visit as daughters or granddaughters or great-granddaughters. Some extended even further along the family lineage. Although a few of the men in the pictures enjoyed a shinning head of blond or red hair, almost everyone, especially the women, had a hair of either deep gray or chilling blue. Angela regarded the portrait in the center of the collage. It was a family of five with a tall, serious-eyed man, his wife, and three children. The man's gaze somehow captured both sternness and kindness all at once. His dark violet eyes had seen almost as much suffering as the lady, yet he placed his arm around his wife's shoulder tenderly, showing his true feelings. Angela had no doubt the Lady would have held her husband as well if she were not already holding a newborn baby girl in her arms. The two children, both of whom had inherited their mother's sky-colored hair, stood attentively. They reminded Angela of Atory whenever their family had to pose for a photo. He stood straight enough but the discomfort and pent up energy within him seemed to resonate in the whole family. Angela grinned at how Atory's feelings had even made his father eager to be done with the photo shoots. "Just take the photo, man!" The King had finally snapped. "If it looks bad we'll have someone fix it digitally!" They'd all had a good laugh that night.

Looking at these images helped Angela understand why the Lady lived this way. Even though she could not be near all her family, she protected the world so they could continue to live and grow. Angela would gladly lead the same life it ensured her son's happiness.

"Here we are." The Lady spun around with a photograph frame and file folder clasped tightly in her hands. "Before I show you these documents, you must first meet another guest of mine." She led Angela back down the hallway to the second-story elevator entrance. "This guest arrived about a week ago, uninvited."

Angela almost forgot to enter the elevator door before it hissed shut. "_Uninvited_? I Thought you… well… discouraged uninvited guests." The elevator thrummed slightly as it descended.

"I do, always have and I always shall. True to form, when I saw this unwelcome visitor approaching I wasn't at all disappointed when several old sleeper Zoids activated right in the intruder's path and launched a barrage. I'd thought that had ended the matter, naturally."

Angela knew the Lady loved to bait people in conversations, so she obliged. "Did something happen?"

The Lady grinned happily, "Something truly remarkable. This intruder did what no other unwelcome guest accomplished: he blew the sleeper Zoids to molten scrap." The elevator hissed open onto a metal catwalk suspended in the darkness with a few overhead lights. They emerged onto the catwalk and proceeded to the center. The echo of their footsteps bounced and drifted for an eternity, making Angela feel as though she was standing atop a great pit that stood ready to swallow them whole. The Lady spoke as if she were talking about an amusing anecdote, the kind that people discussed at casual parties. "Obviously I could not simply turn away such a powerful guest, but I'm not about to allow an intruder to simply waltz into my home. So I followed the only open path: I went out and met this rather boorish—or should I say 'bull headed'—" she giggled at her own joke, "fellow. She was very direct and got straight to the point; my favorite conversation style." The Lady flicked a switch and a stronger set of lights brightened the area before them. Only a yard away, a giant blue snout poked at them curiously. Two red eyes watched cautiously, but did not glare. There was enough firepower within the Zoid's horns and back-mounted cannons to level this entire facility, but Angela did not sense any hostility.

Even so, she jumped at the simple fact such a large creature was standing so close, unnoticed.

"Angela Bethany Prasino, allow me to introduce the Cannon Fort. Recently escaped of ZBC ownership, it is the first Wild Zoid in almost a century." The bull-style Zoid bellowed a greeting.

Angela was momentarily speechless. "T-this was your intruder?"

The Cannon Fort growled, prompting the Lady to say, "She prefers the term 'aggressive arrival.'"

"Aggressive arrival… yes… of course. But… why would a Wild Zoid come here? And how did it know about you?"

The Lady nodded. "You too know how to pierce the core subject, as I knew you would." She handed Angela the packet of information. Within were two dossiers of a man and a teenage girl on the brink of womanhood. The man was easily enough to recognize. His combed back dark hair shown a few elegant streaks of silver and his elegant face could woo many a noble maiden. But his cold eyes only added to his resemblance of Prozen the Usurper. No one would dare say such a thing about Sen Vaez within the central regions, but everyone in Arcadia commented on the resemblance.

The girl-to-be-woman was tall and slender with bright violet eyes and fiery red hair that hung in short bangs. She was somewhat athletic, probably a Zoid pilot. Her name was Leena Toros and a quick skim of the dossier revealed nothing important save her role on a Class S team. Angela didn't pay much attention to Zoid Battles. They brought Arcadia no profit, ruined the landscape, and blinded people with their sports obsessions while the rest of the world cried for aid.

"What makes these people so important? Sen Vaez is a powerful man but-"

"He is powerful," the Lady spoke with a new edge in her voice, "because he had willed the world to make him strong. Despite his public façade I have kept my eyes on this man for a long time; long before he became ZBC Chairman and Commissioner. His history is closely guarded. So much so that I do not even know his true identity. But I do know his parents died during a rather suspicious tradeoff with the Black Market and he himself has ties to many powerful figures in the criminal and Backdraft worlds. I do not trust such a man. Having spent time with many like him, I can say that he will bring no good to planet Zi. Even his most benevolent act will haunt us at some point. I am sure."

"And the girl?"

"Leena Toros, the object of his affections for a recent time and the focus of many historical probes on Vaez's part. He has researched her family and lifestyle, then erased all pertinent information. I know of her mother, father, grandparents, cousins, but a few tiny inconsistencies called to me. For example, her grandfather on her mother's side never married. He was too obsessed with his Ancient Zoidian research to find love or raise a child. What's more, the history of Mrs. Toros appears to have been fabricated, but all my attempts to unlock the truth ended with dead identity thieves and fabricators. Someone is protecting the Toros family's secrets, perhaps they are keeping the Toros family ignorant as well. Vaez wants something with this girl, and whatever Vaez wants cannot be good for either the girl or our world. Again, I am sure of my conclusions."

"How do you know about this girl? I doubt you took must interest in Vaez's love life."

The Cannon Fort bellowed again. "Exactly right." The Lady nodded. "It was the Cannon Fort that told me of Ms. Toros' existence, and hinted vaguely that she is more than she appears. What's more, the Cannon Fort came here at the will of the Zoid Eve, whose voice has not been heard in over a century. Apparently, Leena Toros is a matter of great importance to Zoid Eve, and so the Mother finally contacts her children once again."

Angela continued to frown. "What am I to do with this?"

The Lady grinned. "Come now, a young girl being wooed not just by a man but by the siren call of fame and elitism in Jusight? Surely that reminds you of a certain lady—both brave and foolish—who I came to care for very much."

Angela blushed and nodded. That was as public a display of affection as Angela had ever received from the Lady. It was always unspoken, but bringing it out into the open like that was still a fresh revelation. "Yes, I do remember when we met and how much you changed me. Wait, are you saying _I_ should go to Jusight and do the same for this girl?"

The Lady nodded. "Normally I wouldn't ask someone else to bear such a task, but I cannot afford the time and this Ms. Toros is not the kind of girl who would listen to an old woman. Besides, I'm still burnt out from the time I spent teaching _you_."

Angela laughed. She had been quite the terror in her youth. "Still, I cannot just leave Argos on a whim."

"This isn't a whim. It's advice from a friend. And I already know why you hesitate to go. No, it is not your duties as Fylak's caretaker that hold you back. I will assume that duty while you are away."

Silence held both of them for a long moment. After all this time, after so many requests and invitations, _now_ she suddenly wanted to live in Argos? "W-why?"

"Many reasons. I need you to carry out this important task and if I must assume your responsibilities in the meantime, so be it. And there's the fact I've not gotten to see much of your family. I would like to know how they are doing. Most of all, I'm old and more than a little lonely. Now is the time where I can finally combine socializing with my work; and not just socializing with nitwits at ballrooms. No, I look forward to speaking with your husband and his staff. I sense that I'll find their conversations most rewarding."

Angela pondered for a moment and when she did not speak the Lady said, "You don't have to worry about Atory either. I give you my word as one mother to another that I shall watch out for his well-being. You cannot hover near him all the time, Angela, especially in the dark hours to come. Let the boy spend some time apart from his mother and learn independence. He will still be delighted to see you upon your return."

"But that's just it." Angela sighed. "You taught me for over five years. I cannot stay with Leena Toros that long."

"You needn't spend that much time. In fact, I'd be amazed if you didn't surpass my teachings in less than a year. You're much younger than I was when I first met and instructed you. You'll empathize with her in a way I cannot. Give it sixth months. If you've made no progress and if you don't feel the slightest bit of affection for this young girl, then I personally come and escort you home. Please, Angela, I cannot do this alone."

Angela wanted to sigh or curse or maybe both. Instead she nodded. For the Lady to take this much interest in a young girl like Ms. Toros was a testament to the important events swirling around her identity. Perhaps Angela could be of some help and she knew the Lady did not act on senility or spontaneity. No doubt she'd already considered different scenarios, including Angela's refusal. She would go to Jusight and meet Leena Toros, though she would miss her family painfully.

The Lady smiled and produced a photograph held tightly within a small wooden frame. "Splendid, now for the favor I meant to ask."

"I thought mentoring Leena Toros _was_ the favor."

"No, no, silly girl. Business before personal matters. That's at least 1,753 times I've had to tell you that over the years. Perhaps Leena Toros will understand that concept better than you. This young woman," she tapped the photo, "she is a personal matter."

Angela inspected the picture. The woman displayed in the image was extremely beautiful and was no doubt related to the Lady. Besides the physical resemblance, this woman also wrapped herself in blue. Her eyes where a pale blue that she'd obviously inherited from her grandmother (or was it great-grandmother?). Bluish-green eye-shadow streaked out like twin icicles, making an already imposing glare absolutely frigid. Her hair was darker than the Lady's, bordering navy. Her expression was confident and intimidating, but also hiding a gentleness that one almost missed at first glance.

"My great-granddaughter, Sarah." said the Lady. "She, like so many others in my family, has made the mistake in trying to change the world to suite herself. In doing so she's become hopelessly mired in a situation beyond her control."

"Where is she?"

"In a prison cell, within the ZBC Ultrasaurus that is also located in Jusight." Angela didn't even try to hide her disbelief. The Lady smiled, "Yes, Angela, I am asking you to break my great-granddaughter out of one of the most heavily-guarded fortresses on Zi."

Angela did not speak again, so the Lady continued. "Sarah has always wanted greatness without having the patience to learn how to truly obtain it. This recklessness led her to join the Backdraft and to take part in several disgraceful projects. She's been an idiot but I don't abandon my family members, no matter how foolish."

"And just how am _I _to free her? You taught me many things, but not espionage."

"I considered that, but abandoned the thought at the last moment."

"A wise choice, I think."

"I do wonder." The Lady smiled, "It would have been much easier to establish Arcadia if a few of your rivals disappeared."

Angela let her expression harden. "That would betray my husband's dream. We'll do things the hard way until the world doesn't allow us otherwise."

"Very noble, if naïve. In any case, Angela, you needn't worry about breaking into the ZBC Ultrasaurus. I didn't teach you such tactics, but you do know where to find people who are skilled in this line of work, and you know how to form the proper alliances. I am sure you will find a way. I cannot make you do this any more than I can force to you to teach Leena Toros, but I ask this as a favor."

Silence smothered both with the Cannon Fort looking between them anxiously. Such a request went beyond a favor between friends. Angela would risk much by even showing her face in Jusight. Anyone who had bothered to learn of Arcadia would accuse her of spying or try to frame her in order to discredit the kingdom and give the ZBC a reason to cross their borders. The ZBC barely acknowledged Arcadia's existence and many people in both Guylos and Helic were pushing to dismiss that recognition. This was a dangerous request.

Still, better to risk a potential scandal over full-scale war. Angela would meet this Leena Toros. As for this Sarah, Angela would research the woman and decide later if she was worth rescuing.

She turned to the Lady, "You will guard Arcadia in my absence?"

"I have always guarded Arcadia in my own way. Now I shall be more public about my aid."

"And you will protect my son and husband?"

"With my life and every resource at my command."

"All right. I will go to Jusight to teach Leena Toros. I make no promises regarding your great-granddaughter. I will decide on that after I have gained information from more objective sources."

The Lady smirked. "Silly Angela, no one alive is objective. To be human is to form opinions. You know that. Still, I thank you for honoring my first request and I am confident you will aid the second. While I would very much like to speak with you about recent events and your life in general, I'm afraid we simply don't have the time. You'd best go back to Argos and prepare for your departure. You'll need to be well situated before you contact Leena Toros. I've already set up several accounts that you may access within Jusight. You'll want for nothing, but do remember what I taught you about humility."

Angela nodded, "May I give you a ride to Argos?"

"No need. I have my own means of travel. I doubt the Cannon Fort will let me ride within her but I think she'll escort me as my companion and I travel." The Cannon Fort gave another loud rumble of affirmation. The Lady motioned to the shadows and a metallic footstep resounded within the hanger. A mechanical saurian, easily as tall as the Roadskipper, emerged into the light with a low purr. Its body was the color of the highest sky and its eyes matched the Lady's. Its snout was narrow and pointed, giving its whole head a sleek, streamline look. The armor of its body was cracked and dented in many places, attesting to its age. It took its place beside its master and wagged its tail slightly.

Angela smiled. "I was wondering where you vanished to, Specula. I hope you watch over Arcadia along with Lady Reese while I am gone."

The blue Organoid's growl sounded like a "yes".

X X X X X X X X

Why here? Why now? Why did she have to be dressed like this? Leena moaned inwardly as Sen swept into the room, his ZBC uniform cape gliding behind him. He moved with such grace and poise, like a king almost, the kind of king Harry was always trying to impersonate. In her borrowed jumpsuit and frayed hair, Leena felt more like a pauper than a princess. Even so, he just smiled at her like she was the greatest sight on all of Zi. That look made her swoon, and she had to admit that her charms worked no matter what the world threw at her.

"Leena," Sen spoke her name like a poem, "we must stop meeting this way." She laughed. "I am serious. This is the second time I've had the pleasure of seeing you in person and once again we meet after my subordinates have wrongfully detained you. I cannot believe the poor luck that seems to hang over our meetings." He took her hand and kissed it gently. Goose bumps leapt all over Leena's skin. "Still, I'm thrilled to see you, no matter what the circumstances."

"Well-I-um…" Leena fought for control of her mouth. Don't slip up now! "It's been a very weird couple of days, so I guess this just tops it off. I'm glad to see you too."

"I've had a few choice words with the task force's leader. Sorry—former leader. Hopefully he'll have learned better manners by the time he regains his rank. It should only take about seven or eight years." Leena knew she should feel sorry for the busted commander but he'd been nothing but an ingrate and a jerk. Why should she shed a tear for a guy like that? Leena was still trying to sort out her feelings about the Backdraft pilot she'd left behind, along with her Gun Sniper.

Sen continued, "I skimmed the report on your… debriefing, though I'd call it an unjust interrogation. Judging from your account and your teammates testimonies, you saved my soldiers and your own friend at great personal cost. I wish this world had more selfless people such as yourself, Leena. We wouldn't have tragedies like Desert Flower City."

Leena suddenly felt uncomfortable. Yes, she'd saved Leo and the ZBC soldiers while losing her battle outfit and Gun Sniper, but she didn't feel like she belonged on such a pedestal. Still, she hadn't heard of anyone else making such a sacrifice. Maybe Sen had a point.

With the wave of the Chairman's hand the guards left and Leena was free to move about as she pleased. At her request, Sen escorted her down the Whale King's hallway to the medical ward. Leo had been taken there after the guards had yanked him away. Before she could delight in seeing Sen again, she had to know if he was all right.

The medical door was so unobtrusive that Leena nearly walked by it. Like everything else on the Whale King it was a stained dark gray monotone that drove Leena crazy. The only distinguishing feature was a barely illuminated "Medical Ward" sign. In the Hover Cargo she'd done everything she could to brighten the hallways up and make the place look like home instead of a fortress. How did military people function like this? How could Sen be so charming when he probably had to work in places just as boring?

The door was slightly ajar with voices drifting out of it. "How are you feeling?"

"Better… but my head still hurts."

"You've lost a lot of blood, so that's natural. I can't give you any medication for that just yet until I'm sure your body won't have any negative side effects. As for your skin…" Leena paused with her hand on the door.

That was definitely Leo's voice coming from within, but what about his skin? She remembered those lights that raced along his muscles, like someone had illuminated his blood veins. There must be another problem with his skin. A rash from the Zoid pool, or a few cuts from all their problems. That had to be it. Yeah.

She was still nervous, though, so she looked back at Sen. He nodded understandingly and stepped back. Thanking him with a smile, she stepped inside. If something was wrong with Leo, she'd rather not announce it to the world, not even to Sen. Later, maybe.

The medical room stung her nose with all sorts of sterilized smells. Some carried a faint alcoholic scent, the rest conjured up images of needles and scalpels. Leena hated hospitals and doctor's officers. They all had the same white curtains and tile floors, polished to the point of glaring brightness, but in the end all they did was depress her. It wasn't all that different from the ZBC's gray corridors. Leo was hiding behind one particularly bright curtain. A spotlight on the opposite side cast tall shadows of Leo's form and a smaller, stubbly fellow leaning forward. Rather than give herself away, Leena crept around and peeked through a gap between curtains.

The doctor, a plump, short man with a poor comb-over, pressed an otoscope into Leo's ear, blocking her view with his broad back. She resisted a snarl and mentally shouted at him to move. Oblivious, he continued his diagnosis, "As far as I can tell, you're in no physical danger. The decontamination shower removed most of the metallic elements from your skin. Once you get some food in you I'm sure your blood will replenish and you'll be feeling fine in no time."

Leo sounded tired and a little worried. "But what about the bullet? And my skin?" Bullet? Wait, he _had_ been shot? That didn't make sense. There was no bullet hole! Oh, move aside, you quack! Get out of the way!

"I've examined the x-ray of the penetration area and there's absolutely no sign of any bullet. I can only imagine that it dissolved in the chemical compound of the birthing pool. A small miracle that your organs and nervous system weren't damaged. I want to keep you overnight for observation, but since I can't hold you any longer than the commander sees fit, I think you'll be on your way by morning. As for your skin, the irritation of the scar tissue is just a small allergic reaction to the minerals. I think it'd be safe to give you a hydrocortisone cream if it's causing you discomfort." Scars? Scars, as in "more than one." What scars?

"Now, the illumination is a little disconcerting, but I can't find anything that wrong with your system…" The doc finally, mercifully, moved aside; and Leena blew her cover. She couldn't help it. The moment she saw Leo's skin, she inhaled too sharply. All those scars, some thin, others so wide she could only envision Leo receiving blows from an axe-man. Despite his pale skin the scars screamed red and stood out like blood on a white sheet. Leena had trembled the moment she saw it and flashed back to the time Leo had barged in on her shower, almost taking his shirt off. What if he had come in half-naked and she'd seen those scars? She wasn't sure how she would have reacted.

And then there was that dance of light, just below his right shoulder as he turned to the side. Another small sparkle lit up his stomach shortly thereafter. The moment Leena realized that she hadn't been hallucinating, that the Zoid pool _had_ done something to Leo, she gasped.

Leo's arm shot out and yanked the curtain back, revealing Leena crouched down like a thief, trying to steal Leo's secrets and dignity. He looked at her for a short moment. Even though he was sitting above he didn't seem to be looking down on her. Instead he just smiled, "Nice outfit."

Leena was too stunned and embarrassed to be angry. "I didn't mean to spy… I was worried and… and…" Damnit, why was she still staring at him? Why couldn't she keep her eyes off his scars? Look away, LOOK AWAY! She kept shouting in her mind but her head wouldn't turn. She could feel hot tears stinging her eyes. Why did she have to see Leo like this?

Leo turned to the Doctor, "Can we have a minute alone?" The doctor nodded, somewhat shaken by the intrusion, and departed. Leo slid off the examination bed, wobbling as his feet touched the floor, and gave his hand to Leena. She numbly took it and joined him back on the bed, sitting side by side. Wordlessly, Leo slowly reached over and wiped the tears off her face. "Don't be embarrassed. This isn't the first time someone's seen me like this and I'm not ashamed."

"But… how… why?"

His smile was a mix of humor and remorse. "Helping people and Zoids out doesn't always come with a reward. I got a lot of these scars by wandering around and being an idiot. Sometimes the scar was a medal for a deed well done. Most of the time they're dunce caps that remind me of a very painful lesson. I already said that I won't regret helping people, so I won't be ashamed of these scars. It's the scars that came from doing things that didn't help people that I hate, but I always seem to remember their cause pretty clearly." He rubbed his chest with his thumb, right atop a small patch of pink, round flesh that didn't match the surrounding tissue.

"But your skin… the glowing…"

"Pretty freaky, huh? I was really worried when I first realized I was lighting up whenever I moved, but the doctor said that it's not dangerous and it's even started to dim over the last hour. It's probably some side-effect; won't last long. I think I'll be back to normal by tomorrow.

"I'm sorry." said Leena, "Sorry I made you go with me into that base. Sorry you got shot because of it… Sorry you always get hurt around me."

Leo arched his eyebrows. "Shouldn't I be the one apologizing? I mean… you lost your Zoid because I was careless."

Leena shook her head. "I'm not all that sorry. I mean, I'm sorry the Gun Sniper's gone, but I don't feel the same way about Zoids as you. I made a tough choice, but I knew you'd be even more upset if Fang was destroyed instead of my Gun Sniper."

A small laugh came from Leo. "You're the only person who uses Fang's name besides myself. Thanks. And for the record, I chose to go with you into the base, so don't starting thinking you're bad luck for me or anything like that. I'm not sorry I went with you, only sorry that it cost you."

He squeezed Leena's hand and she squeezed back. Relief flooded through her, granting a moment of peace. The world had changed in just a day, but for a moment Leena felt like things were normal, just talking with Leo.

Then he asked, "How'd you get over here anyway? The guards wouldn't let me see anyone."

"You won't believe it. I was locked away tight. The only people who came to visit was the medic who wanted a blood sample, and the guy who brought me this lousy jumpsuit. Then Sen appeared and got me out with a word. He took me right over to see you."

Now the peace was gone, and Leo removed his hand. "Sen Vaez?"

"I don't know any other Sen."

"What the hell is _he_ doing here?"

"He came to survey the damaged city. What's wrong with that?"

Leo's face turned sour. "The head of the ZBC shouldn't be poking at rubble. He should be finding the people who planned this and arresting them."

Now Leena was defensive and offended by Leo's insensitivity. "He's going to do that. He just came by to show his support for the people."

"Many of whom have already left."

Leena stood up and folded her arms. The distance between them now felt much greater than the room. "I wouldn't be able to see you if Sen hadn't come along. He was even polite enough to wait outside with the doctor." She glanced at the door. "He's probably wondering what's taking us so long."

X X X X X X X X

"Doctor, what can you tell me about your patient's condition.?" Vaez kept his tone pleasant, even though the shy doctor before him should have delivered a report immediately. The man was being absurdly tight-lipped as they strolled down the otherwise deserted hallway. Vaez had requested the man walk with him, out of Leena Toros' earshot.

"With respect, sir, this is a matter of doctor-patient confidentiality."

"This may be a matter of security. Your patient…"

"L-Leo."

"Yes, Leo, he was internally exposed to a Zoid birthing pool. Such an event has never been recorded and it may have unintended consequences. Please tell me your findings, for the sake of Zi. I believe you are allowed to disclose information should it prevent greater harm, yes?"

The doctor waited far too long, and sealed his eventual fate with his silence. But perhaps Vaez would be merciful if the information proved useful. "W-well, sir, physically he's in no danger, but there is an abnormality I wanted to further investigate overnight before telling the patient."

"Oh?"

"Yes, well… although he's suffered no damage to his nervous system, some of his blood samples suggest that the minerals from the pool are binding with his circulatory and nervous systems. It hasn't manifested any changes yet, but I'm not sure what this means. It could just be the result of the pool's solution seeping through the bullet wound. I just don't know."

Vaez nodded. He'd been concerned that the pool had somehow healed 12515's wound. A small miracle, that. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if he'd simply died right then and there. Leena Toros would have eagerly joined Vaez's upcoming cause in such a case. Then again, Vaez could not hope for so much from an unplanned turn of events. The Blitz Team's presence was totally random. By all rights, the troops holding them in detention should have been dead by now.

At least there had been no tragedy. Leena Toros was alive and had experienced the Backdraft's rage first-hand. She'd definitely join him after seeing such senseless slaughter. And 12515 wouldn't be an issue much longer. Vaez had wondered if he might be able to have the boy dissected to learn any secrets from the Zoid pool's influence, but it appeared that 12515 was the same as always: a failed experiment. No need to keep him alive if he had nothing to contribute.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"There's something else you should know… though I'm hesitant to mention it. As you said, it could be a matter of security… Because of Mr. Leo's condition, I requested a blood sample from Ms. Toros as well, seeing as how she dove into the pool after Mr. Leo."

"… Really…"

"She did not display any internal traces of the pool's minerals, so I can only assume that her body repelled any contaminants. But I did find something else within her blood: an unusually high number of hormones that are usually seen in human-Zoidian hybrids. For them to be so present in her blood stream is a sign that she may be awakening. What's more is that the hormone count is much higher than any other subject within her generation. Why, for the numbers to be this high her mother would have to be-"

"Doctor." Damn it all. "You are right to mention this to me. I have no doubt that the Backdraft would seek to make use of such a rare trait. Tell me, have you made any logs of this discovery?"  
"Not yet. I was about to mail a few notes after I finished with Mr. Leo." Some small salvation. But what to do now? In his haste to control the unwelcome changes to his script, Vaez had neglected to bring his shadow guardsmen along. Even now he could hear his Grandfather laugh at him from beyond the grave.

_ "Missed something, did you, boy? You won't be able to control a city, much less a planet, with such sloppy planning."_

Quiet, old man. Vaez's mind whirled. He was smart enough to do this. He could find a way to keep this secret. All he needed was a way to hide this bumbler who had discovered such a precious secret. They were alone now. It was an opportune time. He just needed a way to cover up…

Salvation came from a mop and filled water bucket. They lay poised at the end of the hallway, beside a rather long flight of stairs. YES! This was his answer. Fate supported his rule once more. Vaez quickly checked his leather-gloved hands and regarded the doctor calmly. "Doctor, can you come downstairs with me briefly? I wish to write a joint report with you on this matter to the council, and to the leaders of both Helic and Guylos. Such information must be kept to the highest circle of secrecy."

"Well, of course, sir, but shouldn't we check on Mr. Leo and Ms. Toros first?"

"It will not take very long. I'm sure they can wait." 12515 should savor his last few days around Leena. "This is a very important matter, one that will give you a great deal of attention. Imagine making your report to the heads of Zi's leading powers." There, that got the fool's attention. "After you." Beaming, the Doctor took one step on the stairs.

Vaez's foot lashed out, knocking over the fated bucket of water and sending its contents splashing down the stairwell. The Doctor turned around, puzzled, only to be seized by the mouth. Vaez twisted with both hands. A wet snap silenced the Doctor's muffled scream and his body toppled down the stairs, flopping onto the landing and rolling still.

Striding to the opposite wall, Vaez chimed the Whale King's captain. "Send an emergency crew to stairwell B-38. The ship's doctor has fallen and apparently broken his neck. Also, find out who was scheduled for janitorial duty in this section." No doubt the careless individual would be blamed and reprimanded for his folly. Vaez, however, would find the man's name and give him a chance at redemption. After all, his ineptitude had saved the day. He deserved a small reward.

Vaez would have to be more careful in the future. From this day forward, he would always have a shadow guardsman nearby, just in case. He'd also have to make sure one of his own people supervised the autopsy and investigation into this death.

Without waiting for the medical team, Vaez returned to the medical ward in time to see Leena storm out.

X X X X X X X X

Leo was being stupid. Stupid, stubborn, jealous, arrogant, ungrateful; Leena couldn't think of enough words to describe him. She'd have to invent a whole new term to even come close to describing him and his pathetic attitude. From the moment she'd mentioned Sen's name, Leo had suddenly switched into paranoia and jealousy. He kept saying, "you're way too trusting, Leena," and "Something about that guy doesn't feel right." As if he had a right to talk.

Looking at Sen striding with his air of authority, Leena could clearly see that Leo was just envious that Sen was on such a higher level, and that Sen had more of Leena's affections than anyone. The way he moved was like something out of a dream; a handsome prince who commanded respect from everyone around him. When soldiers and crew passed Sen, they saluted out of genuine respect instead of habit or training. Few men could handle power and authority with the same grace as Sen Vaez. Leena wanted to smirk that her charms had taken in both Sen and Leo, but for some reason Leo's attitude robbed her of that pleasure.

Sen led Leena to the main hanger where a jeep shuttled them over to Sen's personal Whale King. Inside he led her to his private office. It waited behind an oak-wood door with an elaborate frame that seemed out of place against the Whale King's hard, dark metal. The inside furnishings were likewise fashioned out of rare and expensive material. The drapes against the window were a silken blue and the plush carpet matched the color of forests. A set of chairs and a sofa, all stylized with regal curves, encircled an elegant but short table. On the other side of the room stood a large desk with the three flags of Helic, Guylos, and the ZBC hanging on the wall. To her surprise, a metal ring with a curtain encircled one small section of the wall. It enclosed a mirror and a small rack of uniforms and other formal attire. Obviously, Sen sometimes had to change on the go.

A tall metal pillar stood awkwardly in the corner opposite the changing station. When it shuffled across the floor to meet them, Leena realized it was a custom-built robot like Harry's servants. It resembled Benjamin: a tall stack of metallic disks. However, the two disks that comprised its "chest" were equal in size and had eight port holes along their curved edges. The robot's visor also encompassed its entire head, enabling it to see in any direction without reorienting its body. The leg wheels also appeared to be able to shift direction without turning the body.

"Master Vaez, Lady Toros, welcome." It spoke with a cold, precise voice, totally devoid of the human tones Leena expected from one of Harry's robots.

"Cura, bring Ms. Toros' gift." The robot halted and began to move back towards the desk without spinning around. "Yes, master." The robot moved over to the desk.

"Cura is a custom model I bought to care for my office and home while I am working. I am a bit of a slob. He doesn't have much of a personality, but I don't mind since I prefer human friends to robots."

Sen reached over, moved his hand around her waist and rested it on her hip. She gasped slightly, for she hadn't expected such an intimate touch. "Leena…" He pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "No matter what the circumstances, I am overjoyed to see you." Leena could feel her face shift colors and her whole body suddenly felt as if a small quake arose in her chest. Before she knew it, his lips pressed against hers and a fire exploded through all her senses. He smelled like powerful spice, the kind of overpowering sensation that fell just short of a drug. The passion in his kiss made her feel like fire burned across his lips and into her body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, holding the embrace until they both had to come up for air.

"I have something for you." He didn't remove his hand from her hip even as they walked to the middle of the room where Cura awaited with a package. It was elegantly wrapped with a purple and pink silk bow tied across the top left corner. He handed it to her, and with trembling hands she removed the cover. "It's not much, but I think it will be preferable to that jumpsuit you've been forced to endure."

"Preferable" was too mild a word. Leena _preferred_ a missile launcher to a machine gun. She _preferred_ pasta to pizza as a victory meal. She _preferred_ to score the winning shot for her team rather than let Bit steal the glory. This outfit, these clothes that Sen had brought her… these were a divine sending compared to the tent she wore at the moment.

Sen beckoned her over to the small changing area. She immediately slide the curtain around her and began to change clothes. "Sen, are you sure this will fit?"

"It will, I assure you."

"Don't tell me you guessed my measurements from the last time we met."

"No, but I have reliable sources. My personal designer said these clothes would look perfect on you. Though I have to say you made even that raggedy jumpsuit look impressive." Leena blushed.

Sen's gift wasn't cheap. Leena would have had to save her winnings from almost twenty battles to cover their cost. The entire outfit was a simple but beautiful blending of red and white silk that shimmered as she ran her fingers over the soft fabric. The outfit was actually a pair of dresses designed to be worn together. The crimson dress cut off just above her knees and left her shoulders bare, resting around her neck for support. The white dress was significantly lighter and shorter, barely covering her hips. It rested lightly above her breasts, allowing the red of the undergarment to show through. Silken ribbons folded down from the white dress to circle her arms, but did not cover them completely. They instead wrapped around above her elbow and on her wrist. A pink sash kept the clothing close to her waist. Sen had also included a pair of shoes with slightly raised heels and a few simple pieces of jewelry, most noticeable an emerald broach with a gold ring that attached to the top of her white dress.

As she dressed, Sen continued speaking, "I was shocked to learn of your presence in Desert Flower City. The ZBC schedule said you weren't supposed to be in this area. In fact, I believe you have a match later this afternoon."

"It's a long story, but we were sidetracked and couldn't make it. We'll just have to accept a loss this time."

"I could fly your team over in my Whale King. I can even arrange for a slight delay of the contest."

Leena sighed, touched by the ultimately futile offer. "I'm afraid that wouldn't work. But thank you, Sen. During the bombing, Bit and the Liger were shot down, and Bit's out of action for a long time. Plus, my Gun Sniper's gone. Our team is too short-handed.

"I see…" Sen entered a pensive silence. Leena examined her new outfit and posed before Stepping beyond the curtain. It was still a little odd that Sen knew her measurements and foot-size so accurately, but she was too enchanted to worry about that now.

"Beautiful." Sen smiled when he saw her. "Absolutely stunning." He handed her a glass of wine and led her over to the couch. "The world is a mess right now. President Vereor and Emperor Kamuffel are both looking for scapegoats for this catastrophe. The people want to know who is to blame, and so both Helic and Guylos are looking for the quickest, simplest excuse. I cannot do the same. I'm going to make an address in an hour or so and take responsibility for failing to detect this strike."

"But it wasn't your fault! No one saw this coming."

"It is the ZBC's job to defend against such strikes. The failings of the ZBC are my failings as a leader. Any time a soldier fails in his duty or acts with misconduct, it is a reflection on the leader's poor ability. I cannot waste time dodging blame if I am to atone for this mistake. My hope is that my honesty will contrast with the Emperor and the President's attitudes, and people will accept and forgive me so that we may move on quickly to crush the Backdraft. But I cannot achieve this goal as I am now.

"Leena, your unexpected appearance here may be the only good thing to come out of this entire ordeal, and I do not only say that as someone who takes great delight in seeing you. I believe that you may be my salvation in leading the ZBC against Backdraft."

Leena frowned, "What can I do? I mean, you're the Chairman and Commissioner."

"Yes, but even though I can order men and women to fight, even though I can ask kings and presidents for support, I cannot make them believe in me. I cannot make them fight for our cause with all their hearts. In times of war, a time we have now entered, governments need heroes and heroines to stand up as examples for other people. We need to set a standard for everyone. You and your team have sacrificed a tremendous amount with little payoff over the last two days. You've given up the money that would surely be yours from the Zoids battle, you've aided an entire city during a terrorist raid, and you yourself have sacrificed a great many personal possessions to save the life of a teammate. Few people on Zi are capable of such sacrifice." Sen paused and left his praise hovering in the air between them. Leena breathed his words in and let their truth fill her whole body. It made her feel warm and appreciated.

"Leena, do you know about the ZBC's history?"

"No. I was never much of a history fan."

"I am deeply thrilled by history; to know how people reacted in the past and to hold that against our actions now. Knowing our history also helps us better understand our current situation. This is especially true since I plan to call on Zoid Warriors to aid in the battle against the Backdraft. Unfortunately, there is a terrible rift between ZBC soldiers and Zoid Warriors. Decades ago, the Guardian Force sought to channel the aggressive nature of humans and Zoids into a healthy release. Some revolutionary thinkers concocted Zoids Battles, and after much deliberation the Guardian Force reorganized itself as the Zoids Battle Commission. Over time, more and more people became Zoid Warriors. It reached the point where the profits and fame of the sport allowed almost anyone to become a Warrior.

"But soldiers are different from Warriors. They must be disciplined, see the larger picture, and not fight for personal glory. Such things come to those who deserve the honor but do not focus on such minor accomplishments. With a few exceptions, the majority of Zoid Warriors are self-motivated and unwilling to work with anyone beyond their nuclear team. They feel confined by military law and regulations. On other end of the spectrum, many soldiers are far too rigid and cannot think for themselves. They despise Warriors as unruly and undisciplined. I fear that if I try to mix my soldiers with the independently-minded Warriors, the two will resist one another and eventually our entire force would self-destruct. I need someone who can be both a Warrior and a soldier: a champion of the battlefield who can unite the fighters of Zi against their common foe. I want you, Leena."

"ME?" That was the only word that came to Leena's mind at the moment. "M-me? You can't be serious. I mean, Bit's the hot-shot pilot everyone's talking about."

"Bit Cloud is wounded, and I cannot wait for his recovery. But even if he were fit for service I would still want you. Bit is too closely associated with Warriors; my soldiers would never accept him. You are far better suited for this task. You are already an established Warrior, but Bit has diverted much of the fame you are owed. Soldiers will accept you after you've shown your prowess in battle. And it doesn't hurt that you're incredibly lovely. You were almost _born_ for such a feat. Come to Jusight with me. I will help you become the princess of the Zoids Battles, and goddess of the war against the Backdraft. You can save countless lives by serving as an example to all who would fight. Come with me, Leena."

"But… but my team, and my family…"

"I realize that I am making a selfish request. You will not have time to see your family. As for your team… I'm sorry, Leena, but with one pilot down and your team short a Zoid, I doubt your team will remain active. The rules of the current season are much harsher, and any weakened team will drop in the ranks quickly, even one that enjoys your strength. One of your pilots is a mercenary, correct? I can only assume he'll be leaving the team once the money stops coming." Leena wanted to object and say that Brad wasn't like that; but maybe Sen was right. "Leena, the Blitz Team has been crippled and now it is time for you to move on. I don't ask for an answer right away, but please think on this quickly and tell me your answer soon. I know you will do what is best for yourself and for Zi." He leaned over and kissed her again, causing her already whirling mind to shut down. "I must soon prepare for my press conference, so we cannot stay together as long as I'd wish. For now, let's not talk about Backdraft or the ZBC. I'd much rather focus on you."

Leena didn't bother to answer. Now it was her turn to reach over and kiss him.

X X X X X X X X

"You're leaving?" Leo wasn't sure he could believe his ears. For a moment, when he first set foot back on the Blitz Team's Hover Cargo, he'd hoped that life would return to semi-normal. After a three hour wait with no other visitors, Leo received a release notice. Vaez had Leena off the hook in less than half an hour, and the others returned soon after that. Leo's overnight stay had been cut short due to the Doctor reportedly falling down a staircase and dying. Leo's sadness at the man's death overwhelmed any frustration from the waiting. After everything that had happened, a man tripping and falling to his death seemed like a terrible joke. At the same time, Leo felt strange about Sen Vaez's proximity to such an unfortunate event. Despite Leena's fan-girl delusions, bad things happened around this Vaez guy. Not to mention Leo felt something strange whenever he was around Vaez, as if he knew him from somewhere.

Maybe I am a little jealous, Leo thought as he glanced over at Leena. He shifted his gaze away to the other team members and did not allow himself to dwell on the thoughts and voices that came to him in the Zoid pool.

Leo had finally returned to the Hover Cargo to find Bit and Yuki still in recovery. Brad and the others were all right and more than concerned for Leo's recovery. Leena was even sporting new clothes (and Leo had to admit she looked pretty hot). But as Doc gathered everyone except Bit into the main conference room, Leo had an ominous feeling that reflected in the faces of his teammates.

"Yes, I've chosen to leave the Blitz Team."

"But why? I mean, we're going to be in a tight spot without you, Jamie."

The Blitz Team's youngest member nodded. "I know, and I'm sorry to do this when everything is so chaotic. With Bit in recovery and Leena's Gun Sniper destroyed…" He was silent for a moment with that passive quiet that suited Jamie so well. For such a timid boy to make this decision… Leo was amazed.

Jamie shook his head and regained his confidence. "Yuki's family was kidnapped and turned into slave labor by the Backdraft. They probably had to help make that monster Zoid that used to be my Pteras. Yuki's all alone in the world now and people have taken advantage of that. She's without a Zoid and low on money, I have to help her."

"Have to or want to?" Leena leaned forward, a sly grin on her face. "Are you trying to be her knight in shinning armor?" Jamie's face went red.

Doc was more serious. "Without you, Jamie, I doubt we'll be able to function as smoothly."

Brad nodded. "Doc will spend all our money on new weapons and his toys."

"Models."

"_Toys_."

"MODELS!" Leo tuned out the shouting match between Doc and Brad and focused on Jamie, who was still putting up with Leena's teasing.

"Jamie, this isn't going to be an easy trip. You won't be able to come back to the base easily, and you might end up on an entirely different continent."

"I know, I know. The truth is that it scares me, a lot. But after everything that's happened, after everything that I know Yuki's gone through, it just feels wrong to drop her off and leave. I want to see this through to the end. Besides, after all the trouble I've caused this team, I'm not sure I belong here anymore."

Doc and Brad ended their argument upon hearing Jamie. "Not true. You'll always have a place on our team."

Leo nodded. "Besides, we're not sorry we came here. We managed to do a lot of good in spite of all the problems." Everyone, even Leena and Brad, nodded in agreement. "So I guess all that's left is to wish you luck, Jamie. That, and convert your Raynos into a two-seater."

"What?" Jamie gaped. "You're okay with all this?"

Leo laughed. "You're the most mature member of the team. I'm sure you'll be fine. Now, if it was Leena or Bit heading off, then I'd be worried."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leo didn't answer Leena.

Doc began acting like a leader again and commissioned Brad and Leena to gather supplies for Jamie and Yuki while he oversaw a transfer of funds to Jamie's account. The team would send Jamie off with a significant bonus to help in his travels. Meanwhile, Leo and Jamie went down to the hanger and found a beat-up pilot's chair that had been salvaged from some Zoid ages ago. It was tattered and worn with part of the stuffing poking out of several places. There was also an unpleasant smell that seemed to be a mix of rotten fish and grease. Jamie sewed and cleaned the seat while Leo began moving equipment within the Raynos.

Despite its high-speed format, the Raynos was relatively easy to convert into a two-seater. Yuki would have to curl up somewhat to fit in, and Jamie would be limited in high-speed maneuvers, but Leo knew how to rearrange or reconfigure equipment and connections to fit an extra seat. It took about two hours. Leo wiped off his hands and closed the cockpit behind him, patting the Zoid goodbye. "Gonna miss you, Air Raid."

"Air Raid?" Jamie looked confused.

"That's the name I gave your Zoid. Sorry to name him without asking you."

Jamie smiled. "It's a good name. I like it. Did you name everyone's Zoid?"

Leo smiled regretfully. "Leena's Gun Sniper was Ballistic. Brad's Shadow Fox was simply Shadow, and Liger Zero was Zero."

"Not exactly original names. You did better with my Zoid and Leena's."

"Everyone's a critic." They laughed, but Leo felt a pang at Ballistic's name. It hurt to know a Zoid had been sacrificed for him. He didn't feel like he deserved such a gift. He wasn't sure how Ballistic had felt, alone and petrified as the base began to evaporate around him. It wasn't fair, but Leo knew that life didn't allow for fair-play most of the time.

Jamie seemed to be reading his thoughts. "Leo, you've been around to a lot of places, right?"

"Yeah."

"What can you tell me? Any advice? I'm still really nervous about leaving."

Leo motioned for them to sit down with their backs pressing against Air Raid's cool green armor. "You'll probably see a lot of stuff that just seems wrong or unfair. It probably is, but you're going to have to realize that life isn't always fair or kind. You may see people abusing each other on a level far more personal than any terrorist strike. It may make you feel like giving up on people… make you think that humans aren't worth being around. I know I felt that way more than a few times. Leena once pointed out that I'm more comfortable around Zoids than people." Jamie nodded, but remained silent.

"I came to this team partly because I saw Leena being chased and shot at by several gang members in Molgas. Then we were attacked by the Diloforce and nearly died. After that, Leena and I were arrested for saving a woman from thieves and rapists. Next thing I know, we're in Desert Flower City and the whole world is suddenly burning, I get shot, and Leena's Zoid dies.

"You see where I'm going with this, Jamie? Bad stuff happens for what might seem like no apparent reason, and I'm not sure there really is a simple explanation. It seems so random and indiscriminate. But for all the problems in the world, there are still people who are willing to help and make sacrifices. You can find several of those people on this team, and I see a lot of that in you. If you focus more on the positive actions of people rather than letting the bad parts overwhelm you, you'll be fine. You're a good guy, Jamie, and I've got total confidence in you. And I'm sure we'll meet again."

Jamie smiled, his eyes a little watered. "Thanks, Leo. I'm glad you stayed with this team." Leo was glad as well. After cleaning up, the team gathered in the Hover Cargo's medical bay. Arrayed around Bit and with Yuki watching from her own bed, the team held up a toast for Jamie and Yuki's safe voyage. When asked to make a toast, Jamie differed to Leo.

For a moment, Leo wasn't sure what to say. Being the newest member, he didn't share as many memories as the others. Yet at the same time this team had grown on him so much. He'd forgotten the last time he'd considered leaving. Complaining about this team's oddities was still common, but leaving wasn't a favorable option anymore. With so many losses and now Jamie's departure, Leo doubted the Blitz Team would endure. So there was really only one thing he could say that fit this beautiful, heart-shattering moment.

"Here's to the Blitz Team: the most bizarre and wonderful team that's ever existed." Everyone clinked their glasses while shouting "Cheers!" and laughing on into the night.

X X X X X X X X

Marvelous.

Vaez looked at the notice several times to confirm that it wasn't a dream. Jamie Hermeros, the Blitz Team's tactician, was leaving. The team had filed his notice of departure barely ten minutes ago. Vaez had been looking for Leena's notice, but this was an even greater gift.

Now he was even more confident that she'd join him. It was set so perfectly. Bit Cloud was indisposed and Jamie Hermeros gone. I've done it, Grandfather, he thought. I've done what your precious Backdraft could never accomplish: I've broken the Blitz Team.

The time was nearly right. All that remained was to scatter the remnant of the Blitz Team so Leena would have nowhere to go but into his arms.

Bit Cloud would not be an issue. It would be a good half a year before he was back in fighting shape. The problems lay with Leena's family and Brad Hunter. Vaez already had plans for Leena's father and brother, but what to do about the mercenary?

He doubted Leena would work as a freelancer, but after the debacle with the medic, Vaez would take no chances.

Then he remembered that young Jamie had reportedly left with a girl as his companion. A few moments research through unofficial channels identified the girl as Yuki Summit, the only member of her village to escape the BD's labor force. No doubt Jamie had left to aid the girl in his search. They had no idea how hopeless a task they undertook.

If Jamie could be pulled from the script through such means, why not Brad Hunter? Vaez began to sift through all the Blitz Team's known friends and relations. He found a wonderful tool to occupy all of Brad's time and focus; a beauty known to the Zoids battle world as the Red Comet: Naomi Flügel.

X X X X X X X X

Author's Note: I realize that many people will be sad at the Blitz Team's inevitable breakup, but I've always found the whole team concept limiting. My hope is that spreading the characters out will make things more interesting. Don't worry, we'll be seeing everyone again at one point or another.

Feel free to write a review. They're always welcomed and appreciated.

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	18. Twilight

Battle Dawn

Chapter 18: Twilight

by Silver

Author's note: Happy New Year to everyone. My personal resolution: stop apologizing for being late with chapters. It's a heck of a lot easier than actually trying to be on time. ;)

Thanks goes to Zeropioneer for proofreading this chapter and preventing me from making a mockery of my own story via spelling and grammar errors. I also want to thank you readers for your nearly infinite patience and continued support of my story.

And now, on with the chapter…

X X X X X X X X X X X X

The days following Desert Flower City held no peace. The Backdraft struck again with an audacity that made the whole planet tremble. Several bombs destroyed a series of Zoid factories, crippling their respective cities' economies. The Champ Corporation magnanimously stepped in to offer defensive weapons, rebuilding efforts, and employment for a local militia, absorbing several rivals in the process.

On the continent of Nyx, a Zoid battle came under attack as several Zaber Fangs ripped the competing Zoids and the pilots within to pieces. Before the Super Satellite could maneuver into position to fire, the Zaber Fangs took refuge in a nearby town, holding the people hostage while using the Judge Robot's built-in cameras to broadcast their declarations to the whole planet. People watched transfixed as a wild-eyed pilot stood atop his Zoid's head. "The days of stagnation are at an end!" he proclaimed, "The Backdraft shall reshape this world into a paradise of pure strength! The weak shall be culled; sacrificed to build a warrior's realm! If you survive this evolution, then you may take your rightful place among the strong. Fail and you shall not have time to curse your own weakness!"

The Guylos army surrounded the town, trying to outwait the Backdraft extremists while the whole world watched. Just before dusk, several sharp fins cut through the hard ground, encircling the hapless army units. The entire Guylos unit was wiped out before even one soldier saw the shadows of the Fuma Team's Warsharks. The Backdraft pilots then fled, leaving behind another explosive that tore away a cluster of lives.

The Backdraft was everywhere. In the shadows of alleyways, in the corner of a child's bedroom, in the very bed of a nation's leader. No longer a mere annoyance or the ice-breaking conversation at parties, the Backdraft had carved a place in the front of everyone's mind, demanding enough attention to make anyone wary of a sideways glance.

Many said that their home could never be the target of an attack. After all, what value would it serve? "There was nothing special about our home, so why would the Backdraft waste time and energy striking us?"

This question always brought up "the Lost Flower," even if no one spoke the answer aloud. Desert Flower City had no significance in the larger picture; that was why its loss had such an impact on everyone. Nowhere was safe. The Backdraft didn't care about importance, only fear. Fear made people stupid. It made them implicitly trust their leaders for protection, and the leaders in turn became stupid with power.

President Vereor, whose term once suffered predictions of stagnation and underachievement, suddenly enjoyed an amazing approval rating with a re-election almost guaranteed. He immediately proposed several bills granting him access to Helic's citizenry's personal information and enabled police forces to ignore specific rights that were "obstacles" to the protection of freedom. Several more amendments, each intended to weaken Helic's checks and balances system, were in the works.

On Nyx, Emperor Kamuffel further subdivided the landscape amongst the noble classes, entrusting them with security and management while he dealt with the political crisis with the other nations. The land was so divided that one need only look across the street to see a separate protectorate. Many neighbors now envied one another based on the level of taxes and available security.

Alteil had little rest, what with the whole world crying for his head and demanding blood for blood, but in the few moments he could afford to not look over his shoulder he would laugh. The people feared the Backdraft's threat against their peace and freedom. But that was silly. The people's own leaders were stripping away their rights without any help from BD. Sen Vaez or the current governments; they were all interested in gaining more and more control.

Aiteil had abandoned such dreams, along with any hope of real wealth or power. All that was left was to survive until sundown, and then start the process again for the next day. Alteil also began to plan for the eventuality he'd rather ignore.

The people of Zi secretly yearned for a distraction; anything to take their minds of all that was suddenly happening. The media pounced on the news of the Blitz Team's withdrawal; honoring it with the spot of the Zoids Battle News.

"Last year's Royal Cup winners, the Blitz Team, have officially withdrawn from the tournament. While team leader Steven Toros has not made any official statement, this sudden notice supports rumors that star member Bit Cloud is injured and unable to pilot. Additionally, team tactician and Raynos pilot Jamie Hermeros has tendered his resignation from the team and disappeared. Experts say it's only a matter of time until the Blitz Team's Mercenary, Brad Hunter, also withdraws from the team. Many other teams are quite eager to put in a bid for Mr. Hunter's skills. Many suspect the Champ Team-"

Brad turned off the televiewer with a scowl. After everything that'd happened, the top news was his possible resignation? Even _he_ hadn't made up his mind about staying or leaving. What gave those "experts" the right to speak for him? And where did people get off thinking he'd just jump ship because the Blitz Team was done with the season? He hadn't left the team before Bit arrived, and they'd been _desperate_ for money back then. The Blitz Team was in a much better state, even with so many personal losses. He knew that mercenaries usually left along with the money, but he didn't consider himself an average mercenary.

Most teams had treated him as a passing guest; someone who stuck around just long enough to make good on a promise then leave. The truth was most mercs developed solitary attitudes because people continually treated them in such a way.

The Blitz Team was different. They considered Brad a team member from day one and treated him as such (though that was a disadvantage at times). He'd never met a team like this before. Even Leo hadn't treated him as a placeholder for another team member. It might have been easy to leave if they simply thought of him as an average mercenary, but Brad didn't think about "what-if's" very often.

But, thought Brad, I have obligations beyond the Blitz. I need to think about what I'm going to do next.

He needed a steady income, that was a given. Even so, jumping ship was appalling. Brad had never enjoyed so many liberties while serving with teams before the Blitz. They allowed him to do as he pleased and didn't try to confine his style of piloting. Even famous mercs like Jack Sisco admitted they hated being weighed down by a team's specific tactics. He'd shown as much when he worked for Harry's Champ Team. Mercenaries fought best when people simply let them do their job, no questions asked. Jack was good enough to have the luxury of selective service, but Brad was even luckier: he was on a team that _always_ let him pilot his Zoid the way he wanted. They'd even taken him back after he shot down the Raynos and Gun Sniper with his brand-new Shadow Fox. Any other team would have forced him to sign over the Zoid as a permanent unit.

Doc had simply said, "You lost your Command Wolf, so I guess it's only fair you keep this new Zoids. But… you're gonna have to take a little bit of a pay cut." Doc was always lousy with numbers. The pay cut Brad received was barely a gentle prod, especially when weighed against the tremendous value and superiority of the Shadow Fox. Brad was never sure if Doc had been generous, or stupid. Either way, the thought of leaving the Team made him feel sick.

Ma, Pa, this is a tough one.

He sipped his coffee and turned the televiewer back on. Word was that Chairman Vaez was going to address the planet. Pretty late to make an address. Vereor and Kamuffel had already tried to pin the blame on the enemy, their staff, and each other. Brad wasn't a fan of politics, but he knew that Vaez had left himself vulnerable by not addressing the people first. As the ZBC Chairman, his words held a lot more power in foreign nations than the heads of Guylos and Helic. What was he thinking?

Vaez was standing at a podium with a green background and the ZBC insignia glittering proudly. It looked very much like the layout Leena had endlessly described after the team reunited. Vaez was probably still in transit between obligations.

"In the face of such a tragedy," Vaez said, "words have little meaning. Action is required now. The Zoids Battle Commission's blade must cut away the cancer known as Backdraft. If only to do away with fruitless squabbling and blame, I hereby take full responsibility for failing to detect the strike on Desert Flower City. If the board demands it, I will step down as ZBC Chairman. If President Vereor and Emperor Kamuffel will allow it, I would be honored to work with both Helic and Guylos to strike down this evil. As of now, I am hereby postponing all Zoids Battles indefinitely. We cannot simply ignore this threat to peace. I ask that all Zoids teams wait. Do not disband, for I will need to call on your strength soon.

"The Backdraft seek to unravel our society. Let us show them how strong our bonds are and rip them apart instead! I ask for the support of all of Zi. Guylos, Helic, or independent; please work with me to defeat the Backdraft and avenge the souls that have been lost!"

Not bad. Brad turned the televiewer off. The man didn't mince words, unlike most other politicians. There was no way the ZBC would ask him to stand down now. He'd humbled himself before the whole planet and people would want to charge into battle with him in the lead. Making him step down would be political suicide. What's more, Vereor and Kamuffel would be in a tight spot. They had obviously diverted the blame, but here was a man of equal station (maybe higher) who took the blame and asked for the people's help. They'd lose a lot of respect after this. No wonder Vaez waited. He wanted them to fire the first shots so he could go in for he kill. He sounded like a nice guy, but Brad recognized a vicious streak. After all, no one became a high-ranking politician without a darker edge. Vaez was willing to risk short-term damage to gain the high ground in the end. The world would probably be a lot more interesting with him leading the charge against the Backdraft.

And now Brad's worries about joining another team were pretty much gone. No Zoids battles meant no more freelancing. Maybe the ZBC would hire mercenaries who could pilot better than those wind-up "sir-may-I-take-a-breathe" soldiers. Plenty of work available, fighting the BD. It wasn't as if Brad hadn't done enough of that already. Getting paid to do it, however…

The loudspeakers within the entertainment area pinged, signaling an incoming message on the vid-phone. Nothing better to do, so Brad picked up first.

"Brad, I'm glad _you_ answered."

"Naomi." Brad was a little startled to see the Fluegel Team's leader. They were scheduled to have a battle miles away from here. Not that it mattered since Vaez had just cancelled all battles, but there was no way they could have known that already.

Brad signaled the team to meet in the hangar at Naomi's request. Bit had to remain in recovery, but the everyone else gathered and exchanged pleasantries.

"Nice new look." Leon complimented his sister's new outfit. She'd been on full alert since their return, careful not to spill anything on her clothes but totally unwilling to take them off.

Leena blushed, "Wait 'til you hear who gave them to me."

"That should wait." Leo said with an unusual edge in his voice. Brad suppressed a smile when he saw the red in Leo's face. "I'm guessing there's something important going on if you two came all the way out here to see us in person."

Now it was Leon who looked sour, but Naomi spoke first. "Actually, I came to talk to Brad, personally. It's Leon who wanted to meet with the rest of you."

In the short while Brad had known Leon, he'd never heard such frustration, even anger, in the man's voice. "I just figured I should ask if the Team still has a spot for me."

Doc frowned, "Spot? Does this mean you've left the Fluegel Team?"

"Fluegel Team?" Leon gave a humorless laugh. "There is no more Fluegel Team. Naomi's disbanded it."

X X X X X X X X

The secret chamber now housed three Zoids cores. The UDS and the DST cores had tripled in size to the point where they had to be transferred to larger containers. Dr. Baum was pleased to announce that the DST cells were ready for harvesting and testing. As soon as the cells were cultivated, the cores would be frozen to suppress any further growth until the final stages of the grand design. Vaez looked forward to seeing the results.

The third core, pulled from the carcass of the nearly-destroyed Genosaurer 3, now hung in a tank beside the birthing pool. The nutrient fluid cast a pale green glow across the core. Peering closely, Vaez could note small twitches in the outer shell as the core's DNA reconfigured to Laon's specifications. The virus used to alter the Zoid's DNA was unlike any other, and Laon made sure everyone knew it. "This will be my greatest creation!" Laon declared proudly. "Why, it may even surpass the Berserk Fury!"

"Really?" Vaez added more amusement to his voice than necessary. "How can this Zoid surpass an Ultimate X?" Laon's irritation cracked his fake smile. Vaez enjoyed blocking the man's self-praise. Compared to the Lilith, any other Zoid was a mere Toy.

Dr. Baum hobbled beside his reluctant colleague. "Dominance is not always determined by strength, my lord. Evolution favors the quick, the unique, the innovative. Dr. Laon's new system will make the Dark Spiner a lethal threat to almost any Zoid. Even the Ultrasaurus could not withstand multiple blows from the Dark Spiner's ionization field. This weapon exploits the one weakness of all Zoids, their own power cores." Laon nodded, furious that someone had stolen his thunder.

With the push of a button, the Cradle and its metallic platform retracted upwards and moved aside on an overhead track while the modified core swung into position. The thick, mucous-like fluids disappeared through one of the tubes fixed to the container's head. Now completely drained, the container lowered to just above the birthing-pools surface. The metal plates at the bottom hissed the release of their airtight seal and slid outwards, offering the core an unobstructed drop into the waters below. Upon breeching the surface, the core immediately sank out of sight and the entire pool illuminated a soft orchid glow that painted the entire laboratory.

Laon checked all the readings and nodded. "The metallic elements have already begun to gather. This time tomorrow, it'll be ready for deployment."

Vaez nodded. "Call me the moment it is ready. I have a mission planned that will provide an excellent test." He turned to leave.

"My lord, a moment if you please." Baum tried to keep pace with his master. "I understand that you recently encountered 12515; now using the alias 'Leo.'"

"You are well-informed, Doctor." Considering you haven't seen daylight in months nor enjoyed visitation from anyone but myself and my personal staff.

"It pays to keep one's ear to the ground; and a hack in to a few ZBC files every now and again. Is all this true? Is he still alive? And is he finally functioning as expected?"

"Why does it matter? You and I both know that the Children of Raven project was deemed a failure."

Baum nodded solemnly. "It is a matter of personal pride. A weakness, I know, but it would give me great pleasure to know if my most disastrous endeavor produced at least one success."

Vaez shook his head. "12515 still tinkers with parts while failing as a pilot. He's apparently bumped around between teams until settling as the Blitz Team's mechanic."

"Oh… how unfortunate." Veins bulged along Baum's smooth scalp. Despite his usual composure, blood swelled beneath his skin and his breathing hardened "It is infuriating to know he still mocks my underachievement with his existence! He should be frozen away with the others until such time as I know how to remedy the flaws."

"You've had almost fifteen years to find a solution, Doctor."

"Evolution takes time!" Baum remembered who he was talking to. "My lord…"

Vaez let the lapse slide. Baum was too important to the larger play to be bogged down with disciplinary action at this time. "Rest assured that 12515's mockery will soon end. Part of the Dark Spiner's first mission is to relieve the world of that refuse's existence."

X X X X X X X X

Leo relished the quiet of the Hover Cargo's hangar. It wasn't the same quiet as the silence of the abandoned Backdraft base, or the muffled numbness of the ZBC Whale King. It certainly wasn't like the quiet of the dead he heard in Eveopolis. This was a quiet in which he felt at home. A low hum from the Hover Cargo's power core, the minute clanks and wrenching sounds as he repaired the Liger Zero; these were the sounds that told Leo he was in a safe place. For one moment, the danger had past. The whole world was more dangerous now that the Backdraft was on the warpath, but he couldn't be on edge all the time. This was a moment of peace and he was trying to enjoy it to the fullest.

Though it was hard to be equally quiet in his mind. Questions and worries continued to assail him, nudging for attention. The events of the pool were the most immediate. The glowing on his skin had vanished, though he sometimes thought he saw a flicker on his arm or at the edge of his vision. Probably just his mind playing tricks.

But that wasn't the biggest issue. That voice in the pool, and the heartbeat that came from somewhere else; no matter how close to death he may have been, Leo couldn't shake the feeling that those sensations had been real. That somewhere, some_thing_ was waiting for him.

I already have a partner, he told himself. I already have Fang.

And "combating heresy while protecting the ones I love?" What the hell did that mean? Sure, he cared about the Blitz Team, they were a great bunch. But he'd just let Jamie leave. What kind of protector was that?

Somehow, the voice's use of "love" had carried a much stronger connotation than just friendship. That brought Leena's face to the forefront of his mind. She was the first clear sight after emerging from the pool. Drenched and panting, she was without a doubt the most beautiful sight he'd ever beheld. Matters involving Leena were especially forceful with his attention. Her attacks and sensations after the ordeal in the Valley of the Rarehertz? Troubling. The loss of her Zoid? Saddening. Her growing affection for this Vaez guy? Maddening! Leo didn't trust him and worried for Leena's safety. This guy always seemed to show up in troubled areas.

But so do I, he realized… but that was different somehow. Leo also couldn't deny that he'd been eyeing Leena a little closer since they got back. He'd always considered her a looker, but now he remembered how her warmth was the only thing he truly felt in the Zoid pool as she pulled him upward. He kept wondering about how it felt to have her close and feel her warmth again without fear of death. He'd had similar feelings before, but now it was more intensive.

"Grrr…" The Liger Zero demanded attention away from Leo's ponderings.

"Sorry. Gimme a sec." Leo tightened a bolt on the Liger's newly-installed leg components. "How's that feel?" The Liger shook its leg slightly and growled pleasantly.

This was pretty handy. Aside from Fang, Zero was the only Zoid that offered him obvious feedback on his repairs' comfort level. If he installed a part in a bad way or made something too tight, the Liger would let him know with an irritated growl or, in some rather extreme cases, a snarl. These Ultimate X Zoids were able to show more of their personality than any other Zoid. Leo wondered if they'd been born in a time before the more advanced command systems that suppressed a Zoid's quirks and intended actions. To tame Zi's beasts, people had effectively caged their minds. Leo felt sorry for the Zoids, but at the same time knew that completely free will meant that a Gojulas might go storming through a city, or a Zoid might decide to completely finish off an opponent just as the Berserk Fury had tried to kill Liger Zero in their last battle.

Leo reached into the Liger's cockpit. "Okay, Zero, let me check your self-diagnostic and then we'll-"

The Liger Zero roared and furiously pitched its head forward, flinging Leo out of its cockpit. "WHOA!" Leo's arm instinctively reached out and caught the maintenance platform's rail. He hung suspended for a moment, trying to collect his breath while dangling over a chasm. "Thanks a lot." He glared at the still growling Zoid.

"Liger! That was totally uncalled for!" Bit arrived in a wheelchair, escorted by Leon. "You could have killed Leo!"

"Grroowwrrrr!"

"I don't care what he was doing. That was totally crazy! Don't ever do that again!"

"Grrr…"

"And don't take that tone with me either. I've had a bad enough time already!" Bit winced as all the shouting inflamed one of his injuries.

"Take it easy." Leon cautioned. "Liger Zero used to throw fits like that all the time before you joined the team."

"Excuse me!" Leo slumped back onto the safety of the platform. "Did anyone bother to think about me while I was hanging there?"

"Oh… uh, sorry." Leon grinned nervously.

Leo gave them both an "I'll get you for that" look before asking, "Bit, shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I wanted to make sure Liger was okay." The Zero purred softly. "How bad is his damage?"

Leo shrugged and looked back at the Zoid. Despite his repairs, much of the armor and some of the metal components sagged inwardly, partially melted from the heat. There were burn marks across the main body. "The Panzer armor absorbed a lot of the shock and heat, so it could have been worse. A lot of joints were fused together by that monster Zoid's flamethrower so I've had to cut a lot of stuff out and replace what I can. The Liger can move now but I need a few extra parts to get it fully operational. It can walk, but running and fighting would be too much to ask right now." Bit sighed and leaned back in his wheelchair.

"I feel like I could die, right now."

Leon patted Bit's good shoulder. "You got hurt defending innocent lives, so don't think of this as a defeat. And your battles aren't done yet. This is just temporary. You'll be King of the Zoid Battles again in no time."

"I'm sorry, Bit." Leo said, "If I'd completed the work on the Panzer armor, you might not have been hurt so bad."

Bit shook his head. "Naw… We kept you busy enough with training and Leena throwing stuff at you. Besides, how could you know what was gonna happen? But… is the Panzer armor in the same shape as Liger?"

Leo suppressed a frown. "Worse. It may be cheaper to construct a whole new armor." Another moan from Bit. This was why Leo liked mechanics over medicine: he had no bedside manner.

At a loss for supportive words, Leo turned back to the stubborn Zoid. "Now how am I supposed to fix you if you won't let me check the systems in your cockpit? Bit's too injured to climb up there."

"Grrooar!"

"You'll be in trouble if Bit gets better before you're fully repaired."

"GROAW!"  
"I don't have a clue what you're saying!" The Liger snarled unhappily. Zero wasn't the same as Fang and Leo didn't have the share the Liger's rapport as did Bit, so how were they supposed to communicate? Leo was used to the subtle shifting of a Zoid's body, the tiny hints that poked through the command system. Zero's way of communicating was like using a bull horn right next to a person's ear.

Leo sighed. "Okay… here's what we do. I fix your body and don't touch your cockpit. But that means you'll have to tell me if things are working properly. I'll ask you a 'yes' or 'no' question. One growl means 'yes,' two means 'no.' Deal?"

"Grrr." No hostility behind the growl, so Leo assumed it was a yes and started working. The Liger finally purred. If Leo didn't know better, he'd think he heard some smugness in the Liger's tone.

"Nice." Leon nodded approvingly. "Wish I'd thought of that a long time ago."

Leo set to work tightening connections, cutting away damaged sections of armor, and running what diagnosis he could. The Liger responded to his questions in the agreed form, aiding him in finding all the little kinks and frustrations that usually appeared during trial pilot runs. It'd be a while before Bit would be able to run such a test and Leo wanted to make sure the Liger was almost perfectly restored by the time he slipped back into his reserved cockpit.

All the while, Leo marveled at Zero's free will. He'd never seen such a bullheaded Zoid… except maybe the Cannon Fort, and that had tried to kill him as well. That was, after all, the main reasoning behind command systems. It was naïve to think that people could just let Zoids walk around freely when even a Molga could easily take several lives in an instant. But how much did people need to control Zoids? Wasn't it enough to keep them from rampaging? Suppressing hostilities was one thing. Suppressing free will… after all his time free of the dark, angry men, Leo had no intention of relinquishing his freedom.

Would Vaez and the ZBC take away people's freedoms while trying to stop the Backdraft's aggression? It had happened before many times over. Leo was suddenly nervous about the future.

"Hey, Leo!" Bit snapped him back to the moment. "Don't daydream on Liger! He'll send you flying again."

"Oh… sorry." Leo worked in silence until the attention shifted away.

"So, Bit," Leon leaned against the platform's railing, "what are you going to do during your recovery?"

"Well, I guess I'll be staying at the Blitz Team's base for a while. Once I'm a little better, I'm gonna take up salvaging again."

"'A little better?'" Leo and the Liger Zero looked at him. "You're not going to wait until you're totally healed?" Zero gave an affirming growl.

"No way! I'd go crazy, waiting around while my body healed."

"But if you don't wait," Leon pointed out, "your recovery will slow."

Bit would have nodded if he could. "A friend of mine sells salvage near here. I'm gonna crash with him for a while and work for him. Small stuff; nothing too big. I'll be back on my feet and winning battles with Zero before anyone can steal the title away!" The Liger purred happily.

"Except that all battles have been canceled." No more purring.

"Oh, why'd you have to bring that up?" Bit moaned.

"There's always the ZBC." Leon's suggestion only brought back Leo's concern.

"Not a chance. There's no way I'd work for them. All those rules and regulations. I'd be better off taking on the Backdraft on my own. Betcha that's what Naomi and Brad are gonna do."

"How'd you figure that?"

"Well, what else could they be talking about?"

X X X X X X X X

"Son," Pa once said, "if it looks like a Gustav, moves like a Gustav, and makes noises like a Gustav, it doesn't matter how you pilot it; it's still a Gustav!" That saying always sounded so obvious that Brad never understood just what it had to do with real live. Until now; because the person standing before him looked, sounded, and moved like Naomi Fluegel, but Brad wasn't sure if he was really speaking with the Zoid pilot he'd come to know and respect. Naomi seemed so cold, so focused on just business. He didn't sense the warmth that always seemed to accompany her, and her smile was so strained. She didn't try to act cool while being friendly at the same time. She was doing everything she could to appear emotionally dead.

"I want to hire you." There it was. No banter, no re-acquaintance, not even a "how are you?" Even Naomi was only thinking of him as work-for-hire. She handed him a sheet. "This is monthly estimate of what I can pay you; depending on expenses." The figures made Brad's mind whirl. The rate she was offering tripled his current earnings from the Blitz.

"How did you save this much?"

"Snipers use very little ammo, unlike ballistic freaks like Leena." There. Just for a moment the Naomi he knew began to crack through the façade. But the cold armor that surrounded Naomi closed around the small bit of warmth almost instantly. "That money is yours if you accept my offer. I'll even give you two weeks advance if you want."

"Okay… what offer are we talking about, exactly?"

Naomi unconsciously folded her arms around herself, as if to form a shield from the world and Brad's inquiries. "Something's come up… something more important than Zoid battles or fighting the Backdraft. I need to leave for a while and take care of things, but I'm not sure I can do this alone."

"So why not take Leon with you?"

Naomi shook her head. "Leon's not cut out for where I need to go. He's too much into things like nobility and fair fighting. He thinks too much about Zoid battles and not enough about real life.

"When we first met, Brad, I wasn't sure who you were exactly. You were an opportunist and a hero, a mercenary and selfless at the same time. I need someone like you with me on this trip; someone who knows how to handle the real world but also someone I know I can trust. You know what they say, 'a true friend stabs you in the front.'"

It looked like Naomi, sounded like Naomi… had to be Naomi, no matter how strange. "Where exactly would we be going?"

"A lot of places; most of them unpleasant. I'm going to be looking for leads about a certain bandit group. That's all I can say right mow. There are conditions to this job; the two most important being that you don't ask questions and you follow my orders immediately. If you can follow those two rules then we can do this quickly and easily."

You gotta be kidding me. Brad moaned inwardly. Who in their right mind would accept those terms? Only a fool would agree to something like that.

But that's what people said about Brad joining the Blitz Team, or staying with them given how much trouble they attracted. Besides, he knew he wouldn't be able to simply let this go. Mercs weren't supposed to have attachments or curiosity, but Naomi wasn't acting normal and he wanted to know why. Plus, this beat fighting the Backdraft for a soldier's salary. As long as Naomi let him fight and operate in his usual style, he could handle a few orders and secrets… for a while.

"All right. I'm in. But you'll have to tell me what this is about sooner or later."

"You'll know as soon as I'm confident enough to tell you."

They shook on it.

X X X X X X X X

"Ragnarok Fang?" Leon peered a little too closely into Fang's cockpit.

"Don't touch that!" Leo almost climbed all the way up Fang's leg when he heard the term "Ragnarok." It'd taken him a few years to learn how to speak that term and learn its meaning. Every time he saw that damn button he reflected on how lucky it was that he didn't try pushing the button to learn its purpose.

Having finished what maintenance he could on the Liger Zero before arriving at the team's base, Leo had set about improving Fang after returning Bit to the medical unit. Despite their short time with the Blitz Team, Fang and Leo had grown much stronger. The parts Brad sold Leo had alleviated Fang's poor targeting and lethargic movement while Leo himself better understood how to pilot a Zoid and act as one with his partner. Surviving all the recent ordeals was proof of their growth, albeit a rather grim trial by fire. It'd be tragic if all that ended now just because Leon pushed a button.

"It's just that I've never seen this function in a Command Wolf before. The kamikaze attack known as 'Ragnarok Fang.' It's illegal to install this in a Zoid now." said Leena's inquisitive brother. "The only units that had this function were part of the Helic-Guylos war. I thought they retired all military-grade Command Wolfs."

"They did. I think Fang was simply abandoned because his commander or pilot figured he wasn't long for this life." Leo patted Fang's muzzle. "You showed them, eh pal?" Fang's aura became one of intense pride. "The only downside is that the Ragnarok function is tied to Fang's core, so I can't remove it."

Leon added to Fang's growing ego. "I'm amazed at how well Fang is operating. Most Zoids would have fallen apart by now. You really know how to care for Zoids."

"Yeah… I've always been good with Zoids. Better with them than with people, if you believe Leena."

Leon smirked. "Oh? You put that much stock in my sister's opinion?"

Leo realized how easily he'd bumbled. He'd managed a short reprieve from his reflections on Leena and shouldn't be mentioning her name so often lest the others complicate the matters. In some teams, Leo might have expected a little discretion. This, however, was the Blitz Team. The most they could manage was winning a battle without damaging their allies. Anything beyond that level of tact was a naïve dream.

"She's not the first person who's told me that."

"But you only paid attention to _her_ words, right? I know from experience that you can hear advice a hundred times and ignore it, but when someone you care for says the same thing it suddenly becomes a part of you." Leo shifted uncomfortably. "Don't be like that. Everyone on the team has seen how you two like to tease each other."

"Tease?"

"Your spat during the gauntlet race, your little quarrels, the way you two always seem to end up running errands together. I think the two of you are the only people who don't realize how much you enjoy each other's company."

"Yeah… well…"

"_Well_, maybe you should go talk to her before Chairman Vaez snatches Leena up, right?"

A hundred excuses rushed through Leo's mind. Fixing Fang, tending Liger Zero, checking the team's tools, resting from all the events, deciding what to do next with his life; Leon's expression crushed each feeble reason like a Zoid stepping on a decaying house. Leo sat quietly for several minutes, then silently slipped off Fang and entered the Hover Cargo's hallways. He had no idea where he was going, which was good since he also had no clue what he was going to say.

"Hey, Leena, I really like you. How about ditching the rich, powerful guy and going out with a lowly tech like me?" Brilliant.

Seriously, what could he offer that Vaez could not? Leo had never been ashamed of his lack of wealth. It was an inconvenience at times, but he'd seen how money could spur people to commit stupid and evil acts, often resulting in a loss of money rather than a gain. Leo was sometimes proud of what he'd managed to achieve by working for every last scrap. Maybe he wasn't an ace pilot or living an easy life, but he was healthy and strong and continued moving forward. Now suddenly he found that his poverty was the one thing holding him back from winning Leena over.

Don't be stupid, he told himself. He wouldn't like Leena in the first place if all she cared about was money. And he was willing to fight to earn her feelings if she'd let him. Now if he could just find her. How big was this damn transport anyway? He scoured top to bottom. The gym, the sleeping quarters, the lounge, the kitchen, the tactics room, even—despite his fear of punishment by death—the shower room. Leena had vanished. Anger boiled up inside him. He'd finally set his mind to meeting with Leena and talking about his feelings for her, and now suddenly she'd left with the wind! He'd loose his nerve before he found her!

Forcing a breath, he tried to list any other places Leena might be hiding. The cannon turrets were an obvious choice, as was the ammunition storage bay. No luck there. He double-checked the hangar, only to have Leon give him a teasing grin. "Leena likes to enjoy the view from time to time." Leo muttered a quick thanks as he turned around.

"Enjoy the view." That didn't narrow his search by much. Hover Cargos had an exceptional number of windows to prevent minor fits of claustrophobia. Besides, he'd combed every inch of the Hover Cargo's interior… meaning that Leena was _out_side. Leo called up a schematic on a nearby terminal and searched for any observation decks or platforms.

It didn't take long. Hover Cargos traveled at such speed that people would be blown off by the winds. Therefore, only a small patch of observation platforms extended from the lower levels, within the Hover Cargo's slipstream. The tallest point was still less than halfway up the Hover Cargo, and the most obvious place to look.

Leena stood at the platform's railing, admiring the scenery and not waiting for Leo. He stepped out and suddenly suffered an attack of muteness. He could only look at her. She'd changed back into her regular yellow top and green skirt, but the wind rippled her hair and clothes, giving her a flowing, graceful look even as she stood in place. Leo had often admired her beauty, but suddenly all he could remember was how she embodied life itself when he saw her outside the Zoid pool.

Do I even have a chance? Leo wondered unhappily.

Leena turned around at his footstep and smiled. "Hey."

"Hi." Why the hell was his voice so twitchy? "Um… what brings you out here?" Great pickup line.

"I was just… thinking… and I needed some air. Desert's not much of a view but it's better than some of the places we've seen, right?"

Leo stepped beside her and leaned on the railing. Leena was one of the few people on Zi he could talk with comfortably, yet now he wasn't able to think of a complete sentence. Why was this suddenly so hard? It was stupid, but he didn't allow himself to retreat. "What were you thinking about?"

Leena was silent for a moment, gazing at the passing sand dunes. A thick cloud of sand billowed in the Hover Cargo's wake, but didn't reach high enough to trouble them. The setting sun cast the desert in varying shades of scarlet and amber with a few bits of white. Many dunes glittered as if they held small gems and a violet veil covered the sky. Leena was wrong about the desert. It could be incredibly beautiful, and Leena looked stunning pictured against the evening setting. Leo took his time admiring her while waiting for an answer.

"Well… you see…" She looked Leo in the eyes. "Sen asked me to join him in Jusight. He wants me to help with the effort against Backdraft." Suddenly the surrounding area looked darker. The gentle red atop the dunes now seemed more like a bloody hue and the sky lost much of its serenity. "I'm thinking about saying yes."

"Don't." Leo didn't bother to cover any sense of urgency from his voice; rather, he encouraged it. "Don't go."

Leena's expression soured immediately. "Not this again. I knew I shouldn't have sa-"

"I don't-"

"'Trust him.' I know." Leena sighed. "That's all you ever say. What makes you think we can't trust him?"

Leo's voice turned acidic. "Haven't you forgotten that rampaging bull he gave you as a present?"

"That wasn't his fault."

"And that his troop seem to arrest us every chance they get?"

"Not his fault either." She leaned in with a smirk. "Why don't you just admit you're jealous?"

"_Fine_." The words came before his better senses could hold them back. "I _am _jealous, but even if I weren't I still wouldn't trust that guy."

Leena was speechless for a moment, as was Leo. He hadn't meant to admit his feelings like this. He didn't want to admit jealousy, even if it was true. His feeling about Vaez wasn't just animosity between love rivals. There was something about Vaez that shook Leo; made him nervous. Whenever he looked at the head of the ZBC he felt an overriding sense of danger. More than anything he wanted to keep Leena away from that danger. "Don't go with him."

"W-wait a minute! You're saying that…" So all he had to do was confess his feelings to Leena to make her be quiet for a minute. He should have done this long ago. On impulse he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Leena's. For better or worse, he had done what he set out to do. Something like this was probably over the top. Leena would rip his lips off and chuck him over the railing shortly hereafter, but what a way to go. An odd, almost comical feeling of contentment passed over Leo. No matter what happened, he'd finally admitted the truth to both Leena and himself. He'd seen what had happened to people who hesitated indefinitely. They always put off the chance to enrich themselves for fear of failure, and ended up missing out almost every time.

I should have done this much sooner, Leo admitted. It was stupid of me to wait this long. Leena might not have even considered Vaez's offer if she already felt a real attachment to Leo.

He braced himself for Leena to pull away and maul him; but for one glorious moment, he felt her body relax and she began to kiss him back.

Then the moment ended. Her defenses returned and she stepped back with a gasp. Leo stood by passively, awaiting her reaction. No punches, no slapping, not even a curse. She just said, "I-I shouldn't have done that." And went inside.

Leo pursued. "I'm the one who kissed you. There's no reason for you to go."

"Then you should go!" She sounded more desperate than angry. Leo had to increase his pace just to keep up.

"I'm not going anywhere, Leena. I care about you and I want you to stay with me, not run off with Vaez. I can't compete with him in terms of money-"

"It's not about money, Leo!" Leena stopped so abruptly they almost collided. "I don't love you."

Leo felt his heart crack. Suddenly the term "broken heart" wasn't just a metaphor.

Leena turned and looked at him with apologetic eyes. "We've been through a lot together, and I really think of you as a good friend. I'm glad you stayed with the team, but I don't love you like that."

"But… after everything-"

"Almost everything we've shared has somehow involved us being arrested, chased, shot, or nearly blown up! I don't want a life like that, but that's what we always seem to go through. This isn't like a movie where two people nearly die and suddenly fall in love. Sen is offering me the life I've always worked towards; the life I've always dreamed about. I can't pass up this chance."

"He's dangerous!"

"No he isn't! He's working to stop the people who are the real threat! And I'm going to help him! I'm sorry, Leo, but I'm going to Jusight to be with Sen Vaez!"

X X X X X X X X X X X

Author's Note: Welcome to the heartbreak hotel, Leo.

I feel kinda bad. Not often I shoot down my own original character with romance. Then again, it would have been boring of Leo and Leena fell in love on page 3, right?

No promises on the next chapter, but as always I will try to hurry… and as always real life will get in the way. Oh well.

Reviews are always appreciated. Thank you for reading Battle Dawn.


	19. Dusk

Battle Dawn

Chapter 19: Dusk

by Silver

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for their patience and support as I've sluggishly updated this story. Thanks again to Zeropioneer for proofreading every chapter and sparing us all the pain of my terrible spelling and grammatical errors.

Believe it or not, this is the final chapter of Battle Dawn. Can I wrap everything up in just one chapter? Let's see…

X X X X X X X X X X X X

Atory was trying not to cry, which made Angela happy. The world was often cruel to people who showed their tears, but that was because many people had forgotten how to cry altogether. Given the strength of his parting hug, Angela wondered if she'd have to travel to Jusight with her son still clinging to her neck. "I'll be back before you're an inch taller." Which wasn't true. Atory seemed to be growing by the hour. How tall would her son be by the time she returned?

Her husband did not fare much better. In some ways, parting with him was even more of an ordeal. His embrace was just as tight, but as they held one another she could feel his head turn slightly to regard Lady Reese, who stood on the opposite side of the landing pad, regarding Angela's family with a mixture of humor and envy.

The Lady's arrival had been a tumultuous event at best. Henry was livid at the thought of his wife leaving to live in the ZBC capital. "You'll be in danger, and too far away for me to help! If tensions should break out, you'll be the perfect hostage."

Angela had replied as calmly as possible. "I am more than able to care for myself, and I am confident in your negotiating skills. There will be no war so long as you hold the safety of our people first and foremost."

"I don't need a lecture on my duties as king, but what about my responsibilities as your husband?"

"You need to care for our son in my absence. And I am going to Jusight to fulfill my duties as a wife and mother as much as I am going as queen of Arcadia. Lady Reese would not have told me about Leena Toros unless she held a great significance. If helping her contributes to protecting you, Atory, and our people, then I cannot refuse."

"But you don't even know the true significance of this girl!"

"The Lady is rarely so forthcoming."

"And that's another matter. You're leaving your family's inheritance in the care of a woman we barely know."

"_You_ barely know her. I would not be the woman I am today if not for her tutelage. Isn't that reason enough to trust her?"

Henry sighed and allowed some of the tension to leave his body. His next words were tender. "I love you for who you are; not for your etiquette or upbringing. The Lady may have taught you much, but you were wonderful long before you met her." They shared a rather powerful kiss after that. Henry was always exquisite with compliments. "But can this Lady properly control Fylak?"

The Lady answered his challenge by materializing from nowhere, grinning and delicately confiscating Angela's locket. Holding it aloft in one hand she motioned for the couple to look out their bedroom window. Outside the people stared in awe and fear as Fylak's shield began to shimmer like a rainbow, coloring the sky with a torrent of colors that danced from one end of the city to the other. Lights rippled across the menagerie of hues and Angela swore she could hear Fylak singing somehow.

The Lady had not shown one bit of stress during the whole event. She merely slipped the pendant around her neck and regarded the king. "I trust I have proven my worth. Now I shall wait and see if you yourself are apt enough to rule without your wife's input."

The Lady had chartered a Hammerhead transport for Angela's trip to Jusight. She'd paid for the whole fare, though Arcadia had to contribute some of its own funds for a brief stopover in the desert. Captain Stoller, who stood across the way bidding farewell to his teammates Pierce and Sanders, would be accompanying Angela as far as the Blitz Team's base. He would await their inevitable return and conscript the young pilot Leo to be the first member of the Arcadian Guardian Force. That was the plan, at least.

Angela bid goodbye to Chancellor Hancock and Ambassador Gray before boarding the Hammerhead. After Stoller had entered and both passengers seated themselves, the Zoid's engines flared to life and it floated upward, passing through a portal that had opened in Fylak's shield. Angela did not speak as they departed. She only watched her city, her home, her country outside the window.

All that was left to do was hope and pray.

May this land be safer and stronger by the time I return, and all my loved ones happy.

X X X X X X X X

The underground chamber thrummed quietly as Vaez regarded the submissive figure before him. Kneeling with her eyes averted, Leviathe was the absolute model of obedience and loyalty. Such an odd outcome; given their history.

He'd first met Leviathe while pointing a gun at her. It was the climax to a long and rather drawn-out hunt during his early days in the ZBC. Leviathe had been the leader of a bandit troupe, gaining notoriety as they plundered independent states and even raiding ZBC supply routes. Vaez made a name for himself within the ZBC ranks by eliminating her group with a force deemed "too small" by traditionalists. But as he pursued his future servant and wore down her forces, he began to appreciate her skill and resourcefulness. He'd also had the chance to battle her and witness her piloting skills, further testifying to her abilities.

When the moment of checkmate arrived, Vaez made sure he faced Leviathe alone, so that when he finally gained the upper hand he made her an offer. "Serve me and I'll report you as dead. I'll protect you and give you a new identity. You can start a whole new life; one you could never dare dream." Had she not accepted, he'd have killed her on the spot, but Vaez had suspected how invaluable she'd become under his tutelage.

Her skills as a pilot and hand-to-hand warrior put her on par with most Class A teams, perhaps even Class S. Her stealth abilities made her a perfect shadow guard, and her unwavering loyalty spared him the trouble of looking over his shoulder. Even more, Leviathe could perform all the functions of a woman, save one: she could not bare children.

This was perhaps her most treasured asset. It meant that Vaez could indulge in the desires that fueled mankind's survival without having to worry about illegitimate offspring and future power struggles. She made it possible for him to conduct his work without being distracted by primal, undeniable, urges. Just the other night he'd allowed Leviathe to share his bed. He wondered what he'd have to do once Leena Toros became his bride. Leviathe's usefulness would dwindle. If her loyalty diminished even slightly, Vaez would have to part with a great asset.

"Rise, Leviathe." He motioned for her to approach the edge of the Zoid birthing pool. "I have a mission for you. One of absolute importance."

Leviathe bowed her head. "Whatever you wish, I will make it happen."

He nodded, pleased. "Leena Toros has just accepted my offer to come to Jusight." Leviathe stiffened, but said nothing. "She is a pivotal piece in the construction of our new empire. To ensure her safety, she must stay close to me. If she is ever tempted to return to that hole in the desert from whence she came, much of my work will be set back and possibly fall apart."

He reached over and placed his hand on her cheek. He could feel the blood rushing under her skin, her heartbeat shaking her very soul. "In this moment of absolute importance, I rely on you to ensure Zi's future. You are the only one I trust with such a task."

The pool's waters began to recede, and metal tracks whirred to life, lifting a platform from beneath the fluid. A new Zoid, the first of its kind and the spearhead of his new army, arose.

Its color was unlike any other Zoid's. A bright neon green with dark purple plug caps. It stood on two powerful legs and balanced with its long slender tail. Its forearms seemed too short to serve any purpose other than mounting the twin cannons on its shoulders. Its snout held a sharp array of teeth that could easily bite through smaller Zoids, and its glowing red eyes surveyed the surroundings and its future pilot.

The row of tall, narrow spines that served as its main weapon and namesake towered above its head while resting on an orchid support track. The track connected just behind the Zoid's head on a pivoting motor that could elevate the spines to almost a perfect right angle.

"The Dark Spiner." Vaez introduced. "The first unit of my new army. The tip of the sword that will cut away the usurpers of this world and restore rightful order. Leviathe, I trust this important tool to you and only you. Other Dark Spiners will follow, but yours is the first; the symbol of my new campaign."

"I am honored." Leviathe bowed deeply. "How may I serve you?"

"The Super Satellite has kept track of the Blitz Team's trek home. They'll arrive in less than a week and Leena Toros will leave several days thereafter. The moment she is away, I want you to destroy the Blitz Team. Blow up their Hover Cargo, burn their base. Strip away any remnants of Leena Toros' old life."

"And the Blitz Team members themselves?"

"My puppet will attend to Leena's father and brother. I'd rather have them alive, but believed to be dead. Bit Cloud shall live, for I have plans for him. If the Blitz are gone, Bit Cloud shall return to his wandering days until such time as I need him. Brad Hunter and Naomi Fluegel should be gone long before your attack. There is only one person I want you to kill in this mission. He goes by the name 'Leo' though he has no true name, other than perhaps 'refuse.'" His existence is an unwanted variable, and I would have you remove it. Can you do this for me, Leviathe?"

"Easily. It shall be done just as you ask."

Vaez nodded approvingly and Leviathe entered her new Zoid. A section of the dome wall retracted and slide away, revealing an elevator large enough to transport the Dark Spiner to the surface. A Backdraft Whale King would provide escort from there. Vaez watched his most trusted servant depart and dreamed of the future that was to come, whether Leviathe lived to see it or not was only of fleeting significance.

X X X X X X X X

Leo hadn't panicked, truly panicked, since that day so many years ago. The day that he heard the angry men were going to seal him away with the others, in the "freezer." At the moment he'd discovered their plans, and they in turn discovered his crawling within the ducts, his mind had become a blurred mess of fear and confusion. He'd crawled through the darkness, the metal sides burning his bare skin, but he'd ignored the pain. There was no place for it in a mind already overflowing with terror.

He didn't want to be frozen. He didn't want to disappear like everyone else. He wanted to run away with Fang, and if he didn't do that very night he'd never get away.

Mercifully, he'd found the route back to the lonely Command Wolf. Fang stood where he always waited, almost like a statue. Except that, for the first time, Leo had sensed Fang's feelings and intentions. He had been panicking as well, and was waiting for Leo to come so they could leave.

No sooner had Leo climbed into the cockpit than the long-sealed door to the hangar blew open and several angry men rushed inside, shouting. They'd almost reached him before Fang's cockpit fully closed. They screamed angry words and pounded on the glass while looking for external release switch. Leo hadn't waited to see if they found it. Using the very skills they'd taught him, he'd powered up Fang's core and tried out his repairs on the rear-mounted cannons. It took several vollyes to blow down the hangar door, which had long since rusted over. The angry men ran away, now screaming in fear from the first shot.

With a howl of excitement, Fang charged forward. Leo had been too short to reach the floor pedals, but he'd managed to use two metal poles and an abandoned pair of boots to make leg extenders. He wasn't a very good pilot, but even he could move a Zoid forward. Fang sprinted into the night, moving as fast as he could to any place other than where they'd been.

The angry men had sent out searches, mostly Zabats and Rev Raptors. Leo and Fang managed to outrun them into nearby mountains, where they hid for several days. Leo had almost starved, but he and Fang managed to escape to a town nestled in a small valley where the kind people offered him food and clothing.

But he hadn't stayed long. For the next two years he stayed on the move with Fang, learning to pilot his partner and hoping that they were still one step ahead of the angry men. Somewhere along the line, Leo got used to wandering and never stopped until he met a wild, red-haired, fiery-tempered woman who made him stay with the Blitz Team. Now that same girl, who had carved out a place in Leo's heart, was leaving. The Blitz Team had disbanded, and Leo left to wander again.

He wasn't panicking. After the fear he felt that night, a situation such as this wasn't nearly so terrifying. He'd survived as wanderer for over a decade. He could do it again. He'd only been with the Blitz for a few months, though it felt like forever. Unlike when he left other teams, he didn't vow to target them in the next match, and there was no eagerness to be gone.

"Damnit, Fang." Leo sighed from the pilot's seat within his partner's head. "I don't want to go."

Fang growled quietly. He too had his fill of wandering.

"But what can we do? Hang out here with Doc until Leena realizes she's making a mistake? I might be as old as you by that time." Several lights in the cockpit winked off. Fang was pouting. He didn't like being reminded of his age. "Come on, don't be like that. You know I love you. I don't want to think about where I'd be if we hadn't found each other." The lights blinked back on. "You've been the only being on all of Zi that I could count on, Fang. But now… now we have friends, good friends, and they're all going away. We're the ones who're supposed to walk out, not everybody else." He sighed. "This sucks."

"Only in the short-term." Doc arrived on the platform, carrying a six-pack of beer. Leo felt a little embarrassed and wondered if he'd heard all of Leo's conversation with Fang. "Join me for a drink?" Leo nodded and climbed out of Fang's cockpit. They seated themselves on a pair of cargo crates, took a can for each, and toasted. "To new beginnings," said Doc, "they're never easy, but they can be very rewarding." They drank. The beer was cheap and a little bitter, but Leo didn't complain.

"I remember," he said, "you shared a drink with me after I first arrived. You said that if I gave the team a chance they'd grow on me."

Doc nodded, smiling. "Was I right or was I right?"

"You were right… I've really loved being on this team."

Another nod from Doc. "Is the one team in the entire league that can accept anyone and everyone, provided they're willing to be accepted as well. I know you had a rough start, Leo, but you've become a true Blitz member."

Leo exhaled. "And now it's all over, in more ways that one."

"Oh? This wouldn't have anything to do with Leena, would it?"

Leo was silent for a very long time. How was he going to put this? After over-thinking the phrasing, he went with the simplest answer. "I told her I liked her and she turned me down. I never even had a chance."

Doc patted his shoulder. "More of a chance than you might realize. I can't say what will happen, but don't let one setback disappoint you. Leena didn't accept your feelings this time, but that doesn't mean you'll never find love. Maybe she'll change her mind or maybe you'll meet someone new and wonderful. That's the nice thing about life: so unpredictable."

Leo finished off his can with one last swig and reached for another. "I don't know, Doc. I'm not exactly the most sociable person."

"Ah, yes. You're not planning on going back to roaming about all of Zi, are you?"

"I don't know about any alternative."

Doc pondered for a moment. "Bit would welcome some company. Maybe you'd join him in the junk trade business for a while?" Leo grinned, remembering how he and Bit had quarreled over Shield Liger parts like two dogs fighting for the same bone. It might be fun to outrace Bit for spares after he healed. Doc also suggested, "You could come to the Zoids Academy. After the Royal Cup, the Academy offered me a teaching position for engineering. Given your skills, I could either recommend you as a teacher or make you an assistant. It's good work and you'll meet a lot of new people." He grinned. "New women too."

Right now, Leo didn't feel like meeting any new women. He wanted to be with Leena, no one else. Still, getting out and meeting people was supposed to be healthy in these situations. At least, that was what Leo had always heard. Being turned away had been a harsher blow than he would've expected. He wasn't panicking, but he was nowhere near happy either.

"I would have to help you move your toys, would I?"

Doc laughed aloud. "HA HA! Seriously, they're model kits."

"Toys."

"Model. Kits."

"Toy-zz."

"_Model Kits!"_

"_Toys!_" They both stared each other in the eye for almost a minute before they broke out in complete laughter.

X X X X X X X X

Alteil regarded Fuma as calmly as possible. She, like almost everyone else on the planet, looked at Alteil but only saw his execution. She didn't see the chains that held him, or the puppeteer who laughed in the shadows. No, Alteil was to pay for all of Vaez' sins and no one knew the truth. This simple fact made Alteil hate everyone on Zi. He would gladly laugh at their deaths.

"It's the price of your ignorance! You gave Vaez power! You made him your leader! He slaughters you without a second thought and in your stupidity you only act by what you see! I'm your scapegoat, your sacrifice. I become the demon so you can feel better about your own weakness! One day you'll all curse how stupid you were, and whether I'm on this planet or in hell itself, I'll laugh!" How he wanted to say that to Fuma at this moment.

Instead, he said, "Take two of your men to the Elemia desert, near the Blitz Team's base."

Fuma stiffened. The Blitz had defeated Fuma's team twice. "Warrior's pride" demanded that Fuma avenge her disgrace and that of her men, but common sense said for her to stay away.

You're as powerless as I, Fuma, thought Alteil. No, you're even more powerless. I serve because there's a knife to my throat. You serve me out of foolish pride and devotion to someone else. That's what makes you weak.

"Are we going to hold an unofficial match against the Blitz?" asked Fuma. "I thought the Backdraft was past all that."

Alteil leaned back. "No matches. No Dark Judges. This time the mission is the eradication of the Blitz Team's base and Hover Cargo, as well as the Liger Zero's conversion system. We'll be holding bets, of course, but the outcome is not in question."

"My men and I are ready to carry out the attack."

"No need. I'm not sending you to attack."

Fuma's expression danced between relief and disappointment. Alteil said, "I want the Blitz Team dead to the world, but they may be of some use, so I want them to be physically alive. There are two specific targets you must retrieve. Let the assault team deal handle the rest."

"But my team is far more experienced in fighting the Blitz Team. We know from experience how unpredictable-"

"You've lost twice already. I won't risk failure on another mission."

"But-"

"_Incidentally_, we've been having some trouble with food resources. I understand your mother is in danger of having to skip a few meals for the next month or so." It was a tactless threat, totally lacking in subtly or cleverness. Fuma hated him for such an obvious attack and that made Alteil loath her all the more.

You should only live long enough to realize your own weakness, Alteil mentally sneered.

Fuma saluted without comment and exited just and silently, blending into the hallway's shadows. Alone with his thoughts and his hatred, Alteil pulled out a pen and paper—the only means of communication that Vaez couldn't tap—and began writing a letter that he hoped would never have to be delivered. It was a letter of revelation. A letter of hatred. A letter that would prompt his laughter.

X X X X X X X X

The Blitz Team base, the starting place and ending for the team's second-season journeys, grew steadily in the Hover Cargo's monitor. Leena was visibly anxious, sitting in the seat closest to the monitor. Leon sat across the way, his glum mood clashing against Leena's anticipation. Doc sat at the helm, monitoring the auto-pilot and providing the role of the calm, mature leader (something Leo wasn't accustomed to seeing). For his part, Leo just sat and listened to chatter on the radio. Gustav drivers called out to one another, talking about the weather, sports, crude jokes. He only paid enough attention to keep from looking at Leena.

"Dad, can't we go any faster? Sen's going to pick me up in an hour and I haven't even packed yet."

Why bother packing? thought Leo. Vaez would probably buy her a hundred new outfits and Zoids parts if she asked. Leo wondered, not for the first time, what had become of the Cannon Fort. Maybe Leena would dump Sen if his next gift chased her as well. He stifled a laugh, even though it wasn't really funny.

Brad and Naomi had departed before dawn, almost without saying goodbye. It had not been a happy parting, and Leon seemed especially bitter after the Fluegel team's breakup. Leo had wondered if perhaps Leon would fill in for Brad as a teammate for the Blitz again, but with Leena going there wasn't any point. The Blitz was finished, and Leo still wasn't sure what he'd do next. Doc's offer was especially enticing. Leo could learn more about fixing Zoids, earn money to complete Fang's upgrades, and maybe meet some new people. He was sick of wandering, and now he could accept that Fang was just as tired of battle. With a few exceptions, they hadn't been the best combat team. They lost time after time, due to both Leo's poor skill and Fang's age.

But they didn't really like battling. That was a recent revelation. In the aftermath of the Backdraft attacks, Leo now saw Zoids Battles as trivial games; but they'd never had a huge importance for him to begin with. He'd only participated because he had thought Fang would be happy in combat again, but that wasn't true. He'd sensed Fang's happiness growing during their time with the Blitz, just as Leo had grown more comfortable. Fang wanted to be with people and other Zoids. He'd been so lonely for an unimaginable time. Fighting didn't bring him happiness, and now Leo could admit he hadn't been happy either.

It was decided, Leo would go to the academy with Fang and Doc. This brought a great feeling of peace. Now he had another plan. More specifically: a plan that meant _doing_ something with his life, not just bouncing between jobs. I'll become stronger, he thought, strong enough that men like Vaez can't overshadow me with just money.

They disembarked and began individual tasks. Leon and Doc took inventory of weapons and parts, and everything that was needed to fix the Liger Zero. Leo wondered if he should offer to take the Liger with him to the Academy and finish his repairs, but Leo doubted Bit would be willing to part with Zero. He'd have to take a few trips out and help Bit get his partner up and running again.

Bit himself remained in the Hover Cargo, resting and recuperating. He'd been downloading books on self-healing and rejuvenating foods. Anything to speed up his healing.

Leena was, of course, packing to leave; throwing clothes either in a bag, on the floor, or in the trash. Everything Leo owned was on the Hover Cargo in a single bag. No need to worry about packing, and Fang was in as good a shape as possible without more parts.

With little to do, Leo wandered the grounds, remembering all that had happened since he first set foot on this base. The whole world had changed in just a few months, for the worse. Yet in the middle of all the destruction and fear, Leo had made true friends, fallen in love, felt the sting of rejection, and grown as a pilot and a person. Some parts he could do without, but Doc had been right. He did love being on the Blitz.

His meandering brought him to the storage shed on the base's outskirts; the one Bit had tried to use to hide his salvage. Brad had planed to charge both of them for secrecy and use of the shed, but he never once mentioned a fee or set up a way for them to pay him before he left. Leo took that as Brad's form of saying good-bye and good luck.

The hangar bay, where he'd hidden for a good deal of his time on the base, had gathered a fine layer of sand on the floor, despite the team's efforts to keep the bay sealed. Leo grabbed a broom and started sweeping the place clean. He almost set off the security system and had to sidestep several nets falling from above. The Blitz's security was laughable next to the training courses the angry men had set up. Leo could still dodge their traps without missing a step.

If only those bastards could see me now, thought Leo. He'd become everything they didn't want, and that made him especially happy.

The hour passed quickly and soon Leo stood beside Leena's family as she said goodbye. The girl he'd come to care for deeply now wore the clothes given to her by his rival, a man he didn't think deserved her, but Leena disagreed. She'd already bid farewell to Bit inside the Hover Cargo. Now she hugged her brother, kissed her father on the cheek, and said goodbye to both.

It was unbearably awkward when she stepped in front of him. What were they supposed to do? Shake hands? Hug? Say, "Sorry our time together ended with me getting shot down. Have a nice life and don't let Vaez sneak behind your back?"

I won't end this bitterly, Leo decided. He'd left too many teams with anger in his wake. He held out his hand and said, "Take care of yourself, Leena."

She looked from his hand to his face and back again, the abruptly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You too." She gently kissed his cheek. Leo felt fire, far more intense and pleasant than the flames from the Zoid pool, flow from his cheek throughout the rest of the body. He held her as well, but only enough to be friendly. If he held her any tighter he knew he'd never let go.

Her Hammerhead escort, painted in brilliant white with the ZBC logo on the side, descended from the heavens, come to spirit Leena away. Something within Leo cried for him to stop her, to make her stay and tell the Hammerhead pilot to shove off. Even if she hated him for it, he should make sure she stayed as far away from Jusight as possible.

But he didn't listen. No one would listen to such a voice, though Leo would soon wish he had.

X X X X X X X X

Leena had ridden in a few Hammerhead's before, mostly tourist vessels that showed off the finer sights on Zi. They'd been crammed full of seats with armrests that jabbed people in the sides as they passed down the narrow aisle. The inside of Sen's Hammerhead was so different that Leena wondered if he'd somehow magically whisked her back inside his personal Whale King. The hallway was a plush white carpet that lacked even the slightest blemish. The walls were a royal crimson and textured with a light plaster. Up ahead, Sen's personal robot waited for her.

"Good evening, Ms. Toros."

"Hello, Cura. Where is Sen?"

The robot swiveled on its wheeled legs and escorted her down the hallway, having no trouble maneuvering on the thick carpet. "Master Vaez regrets not being able to escort you home in person. They are planning a raid on a recently discovered Backdraft base and he could not break away at so critical a time."

Leena frowned, "So it's just you and the pilot on this ship?"

"No, ma'am. I am the pilot of this ship. I am fully programmed in the use of the Hammerhead's controls and weapons systems, and this ship has been customized so that I may directly interface with the Zoid in order to fulfill the role of several crew members simultaneously."

"Oh…" Leena tried not to pay attention to the uneasiness she suddenly felt. She didn't like the idea of traveling alone to a new place with nothing but a robot with the personality of a brick. It was easier to ignore her feeling when she stepped into her cabin. The room itself was twice as big as her cabin on the Hover Cargo, with incredible furnishing. Two small dressers bordered a tall mirror on the far wall, alongside the closet. Closest to the door was an oak desk with a build-in computer terminal and an e-mail account already set up. The queen-sized bed was white with pink silk sheets. A door in the far corner led to the bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and showerhead stall. Leena was in paradise.

She stepped over to the closet while Cura excused himself—or itself—to start up the Hammerhead. Leena paid it little mind and began to examine the dazzling display of dresses, all in her size.

… All in her size…

She held a few up in front of the mirror and wondered how Sen knew her measurements so well. He'd been a bit liberal with her waistline, but everything looked as if it would fit. For a moment, Leena wondered if she weren't being watch.

The Hammerhead shook slightly with the power of its liftoff, then shuddered violently as suddenly veered. Leena nearly lost her footing and grabbed hold of the dresser's side, which had mercifully been bolted to the floor. Loud burst of thunder shook the hull and Leena could hear the unmistakable, heart-stopping sound of explosions outside.

"Ms. Toros." Cura's impersonal voice came over the intercom. "Please take your seat at the computer stand. It has a built-in seatbelt."

"What's going on?"

Cura spoke as if he were announcing a weather report. "An enemy Whale King has appeared above the Blitz Team's base and is bombarding the area."

"What?"

"I repeat-"

"Never mind!" Leena wanted to throw something at the tin can. "Turn the ship around and get ready to attack. We need to give my team cover!"

"Negative." The Hammerhead began ascending. "My orders are to escort you to Jusight and ensure your protection. The Whale King is not targeting this vessel. Attacking a superior ship would only place you in danger. We will go to Jusight." The line clicked off and Leena heard an automatic lock seal on the door to her cabin. She rushed to the window, helpless to do anything as her friends and family faced the very enemy she'd sworn to help defeat.

X X X X X X X X

It was hard to believe such a huge vessel could sneak up on the Blitz Team like that. The Whale King's black hull was enough to give away its allegiance; the stealth ability was merely a confirmation. In opposition to Helics's powdery blue color scheme, Guylos' noble crimson, and ZBC's pure white, the Backdraft always painted their Whale Kings with shadows.

This particular model bore a disturbing number of turrets and large cannons, a fact that drove the remaining Blitz Team members to flee inside. Doc activated the Hover Cargo's shield just before the barrage struck, but with the energy dome protecting their transport it was impossible to retaliate.

"We'll be okay…" Doc's voice was hollow as he watched the base through the monitor. The Hover Cargo could easily withstand such a barrage, but the base was unprotected. The hanger, storage sheds, and the dormitory all erupted in a blaze, consuming everything. Leo's heart clenched as he saw almost everything the Blitz Team owned vanish into the fire. Doc's models were in that inferno, but he didn't even mention them. "We're safe in here. That's what counts. Bases can be rebuilt."

"What about Leena?" Leo couldn't raise her Hammerhead. Either they were being jammed or the pilot didn't care to answer.

"She's fine." Leon assured. "The Hammerhead's heading straight for Jusight and is already out of range." Good.

Doc assumed the voice of a military commander. "Get ready to return fire as soon as the barrage stops! Those cannons can't keep up bombardment indefinitely!" In fact, the barrage stopped at that moment.

"Take this!" Leon triggered the Hover Cargo's autofire program. The cannons mounted on the rear stabilizers and the front hangar opened fire, pelting the Whale King's side and causing it to veer to port. The cannons followed their appointed target. Another volley came from the Whale King but Doc had already ceased their retaliation and had the shield up again.

"Leon," Doc said, "get ready to deploy your Blade Liger. The enemy will deploy Zoids when they realize that long-range fire isn't going to work. Leo, get Bit to Liger Zero, then prep Fang for launch. If anything happens, I want to make sure you can all evacuate."

Leon was already on his way to the hangar, but Leo hesitated. "You really think all that's necessary?"

"The Backdraft's a lot more violent than before. I don't want to take stupid chances. Trust me on this and get Bit!" Leo moved.

The whole Hover Cargo shook under the Whale Kings cannon fire. Leo hated being inside while the battle took place beyond the armored walls, but he knew Fang would probably be blown to scrap if they went out now.

Bit was just as anxious as Leo, and was already trying to pull himself into a wheel chair. "Hurry up and help me! I gotta check on Liger!" Leo moved Bit as quickly as he could without risking more injury. Neither Bit nor Zero was ready for combat. If they left the Hover Cargo, they'd be little more than targets.

The shaking subsided and Doc's voice came over the intercom. "The enemy just launched a Zoid. I don't recognize it, but it looks powerful. Leon, launch! Watch out for enemy fire and fall back to the Hover Cargo's shield if the Whale King tries anything." Leo didn't hear Leon's reply, but the low hum of the Hover Cargo's catapult filled the room. At Bit's insistence, Leo sped them to the hangar.

Halfway there, the Hover Cargo shuddered and the lights flickered violently before dying. "Doc?" Leo punched the intercom button. "Doc! What happened."

The reply was almost lost behind a wall of static. "Th-czzzztt-id fired some-shhhhkkk-gy burst! Shield is off-ctz-ine! Launch now!" It was enough to get the point across. Leo had to pry the door to the hangar open. Whatever weapon the enemy was using had fried all the connections to the controls.

Zero growled angrily and opened his cockpit for Bit. "Take care of him, Zero." The Liger growled in a friendly way. Leo took it as best wishes and moved the Liger up to the head of the catapult. "Just run, Bit. I'll support Leon." He triggered the auto-launch and Zero streaked off the platform into the outside battle. Leo activated the auto-launch for Fang's platform, then jumped on as his partner passed.

The cockpit whooshed open hastily. Fang was just as impatient as Zero. "I'm sorry about this, Fang. I know you don't like fighting, and I hate it too. But right now we need to protect the people we care about. That's what we do best!" The weapons systems and power displayed flared to life. Fang felt the same way. Leo had just barely finished fasting his harness before the magnetic energy of the catapult grabbed hold of Fang and thrust them skyward.

The situation was grim from the start. Zero was sprinting away from the fight, no doubt to Bit's dismay. The Whale King had stopped using its larger artillery, but smaller, secondary cannons continued to punch holes in the Hover Cargo's armor. Without its shield, the transport Zoid couldn't compete with its airborne foe, and its cannons couldn't match its firepower. Two of the Cargo's turrets had been destroyed, and the others were running out of ammo.

Leon was faring the worst of all. It was hard to imagine how the enemy Zoid could have damaged him so badly. The Blade Liger's left sword had been ripped away, and its armor bore multiple burns and scourging. Judging from the sparks that jumped from multiple points on its body, the Zoids systems were shorting out.

"Leon!" Leo charged the moment he hit the ground, firing lasers at the weird new Zoid. It looked a little like a Genosaurer, but it was a bright neon green with a long, pointed snout and strange purple fins rising and falling in an arc on its back. It was using the twin laser cannons on its shoulders to bombard the Blade Liger, whose shield looked as if it were about to fail.

Fang's shots were going to hit dead on, but the Zoid miraculously noticed the blast and jumped skyward. The blasts passed just under its feet. "Leo!" Leon called, "Stay back! This thing's too much for your Zoid!" The Blade Liger extended its remaining blade and sprung at the enemy. Leon's booster pack was completely useless, but he'd managed to put enough force in his Liger's jump to meet its target.

It looked as if the blade would slice through the enemy's chest, but at the last moment its short arm lashed out and seized the blade's connection arm. The pilot of that Zoid was amazing. As the Blade Liger's momentum carried both Zoids up, the enemy planted the Zoid's foot on the Blade Liger side and pushed away, ripping out the remaining blade in the process. Leon crashed to the ground, his Blade Liger tried to wobble to its feet, but eventually slumped, defeated.

"Damn you!" Leo fired again. The enemy Zoid, whose Identify-Friend-Foe code registered as "Dark Spiner," leaned forward, pointing its nose to the ground. The array of spines on its back raised up on a platform. The spines then began to wave back and forth, leaving a trail of blue energy in their wake.

It's a shield, Leo realized too late. The shots bounced away harmlessly. The blue energy then shifted from a pure wall to an array of white lightning that quivered between the spines. Remembering the energy surges that racked the Hover Cargo, Leo began to move Fang to the side. The lightning lashed out and reached for Fang. With a desperate leap, Fang managed to dodge all but one of the bolts. The one blast that did hit sent a shock through Fang's rear leg, shorting out several joints. The Command Wolf landed hard and nearly fell over.

"Hang on!" Leo typed in rerouting orders into the command system, bypassing the damaged section. Another hit like that and they'd loose all maneuverability.

Long range wasn't working. Time to go in close. His leg now semi-functional, Fang sprinted left, right, left, zig-zagging between shots. Brad's upgrade parts made this movement possible, and it was the only thing that saved Fang from the Dark Spiner's shots. Fang lunged with his claws and the Spiner responded by sweeping out its tail.

Gotcha! Leo pulled Fang back and dove to the side. Taken off guard by the feint, all the Spiner's weight shifted to one leg as it tried to steady itself. Not that Leo would allow time to recover. Fang jumped again, this time aiming his teeth at the Dark Spiner's neck.

The Spiner's momentum continued forward, and it pivoted on one leg so the tail circled a full 360 degrees and met Fang in the side of the head. Leo's teeth nearly shook loose as the impact dashed them against the sands. Warning sirens screamed and Fang was suddenly having trouble standing upright. Half-dazed, Leo poured over the displays and tried to find the spot that wasn't fitting right. Out the top of the cockpit, Leo could see the Hover Cargo. It was little more than a smoldering wreck now. Its cannons had gone silent and its lights darkened. Leo hoped Doc was already outside, making a run to join Liger Zero.

A shadow fell across Fang, and Leo saw two bloody eyes staring at him through the window. The Dark Spiner raised its fins once again. A direct hit would probably overload Fang's core, destroying the entire Zoid. Damn it! It couldn't end this way!

The cry in Leo's mind found a partner in the physical world as a roar shook the world and the Blade Liger sprang from behind, sinking its teeth into the Dark Spiner's array. The Spiner screamed and thrashed, trying to shake off its attacker. It only succeeded in given the Blade Liger enough leverage to pry the support beam from the main body. The Backdraft Zoid screamed aloud and bashed the Blade Liger away with its tail.

"For damaging the Zoid my lord gave to me…" A fanatic, female voice came over the comm. "I will not forgive you!" The Dark Spiners cannons pounded the Blade Liger, decimating the remaining armor and severing joints throughout the body. The Blade Liger slumped again, and its bright crimson armor began to fade into a cold stone.

"NO!" Leo and Fang got up and lunged through sheer force of will. "You bitch! I'll kill you!" The Dark Spiner knocked them away again. It was faster, stronger, more maneuverable, and it had a better pilot. Leo cursed his weakness. All that training, and it wasn't doing him any good.

Something bleeped from the side console, and a red light illuminated a word Leo dreaded:

RAGNAROCK

"Fang… No! No, we are not using that attack." The Ragnarock sign beeped fiercely while the Dark Spiner kicked them away. "Absolutely not! I won't lose you! Not like this!" Leo managed to get his partner on his feet once more and dodged a barrage of laser fire. He sprinted at the enemy again, this time jumping and trying to strike with his paw in a mimic of Bit's Strike Laser Claw. The Spiner ducked the main blow, but the claw managed to hit a laser cannon on the shoulder and knock it off the main body. Fang landed and bounded away before the Dark Spiner's tail could reach them again, but just as they began to turn the Spiner's remaining cannon hit Fang's rear turret, destroying it.

"Now you try to destroy my Zoid? You'll meet the same fate as your friend!"

Leo didn't have the energy to curse back at the woman. All he could focus on was the Ragnarock button, which shone brighter than any other control. "Fang… don't, please. Don't ask me to use that attack." The light strobed and beeped loudly. It was deafening.

Somewhere beyond this battle, Bit and the Liger Zero were waiting to see if their friends made it back alive. Leo wasn't sure what had happened to Leon and Doc, but there was a chance they survived, a chance they could outrun the enemy. The Whale King hadn't made a move or launched any new Zoids. Leena would have called for aid by now. Maybe help would arrive in time.

But all that was meaningless if this Dark Spiner Zoid got to them first. Leo knew he couldn't win with his current power, and Fang hadn't the strength to lead the Spiner away. Using the Ragnarock, though… it was appalling. He'd worked so hard to learn to fight and _not_ kill Zoids, in opposition to everything the angry men wanted.

Time slowed as options presented themselves. He could fight on to stall the enemy, with little hope of surviving and only a partial chance that help would arrive in time. He could try to flee, abandon his friends and probably still get shot down. He could use the Ragnarock and loose his partner, but definitely save his friends.

All scenarios involved him dying, but that didn't matter. He didn't trust the ZBC, they'd been late with aid in the Valley of the Rarehertz and at Desert Flower City. Bastards were probably dragging their feet right now. It was down to him. He had to win. "Doc, Leon, please be alive." He swung Fang around to face their foe. "All right, partner. Let's send this bitch back to hell. We'll fight together, and leave this world together." Fang howled, ready for their fate.

As one, they sprang forward, sprinting with all their power. Lights in the cockpit dimmed and went black and Fang poured all his power into his legs, streaking towards the right, to the Dark Spiner's unarmed blind spot. The Spiner wasn't able to pivot fast enough to keep up with Fang's all-or-nothing run. Digging Fang's paw into the sand, Leo swung his partner and friend around and pushed forward, right at the Dark Spiner's neck.

He up his fist and hit the Ragnarock button with all his might. It was the forbidden attack, the move that guaranteed victory against almost any opponent, but at the cost of the Zoid's life. It was also Fang's namesake, as if this were a fate assigned to them the moment they met in that dark, cold place.

"RAGNAROCK FANG!"

All lights blinked out as energy collected in Fang's jaws. It flared and glowed until Leo couldn't see the enemy anymore, but he knew Fang's jaws were upon its throat. There was one other light, however. One button that hadn't darkened:

EJECT

X X X X X X X X

The news spread across Zi like a shockwave, originating from the remains of the Blitz Team's base and shaking the whole world to its core. The Blitz Team's base was destroyed, their Hover Cargo and the Liger Zero conversion armors decimated, three team members dead. Bit Cloud, sole survivor of the encounter, was found barely a mile away with his Liger Zero. They had been forced to flee, lacking any ability to fight in his weakened condition. He was reportedly under ZBC protection at a nearby base while investigation crews poured over the remains of the Hover Cargo and Leon Toros' deceased Blade Liger.

Some elements of the Blade Liger's combat data had not yet gone offline and rescue teams were able to extract the data. The recording showed an antiquated Command Wolf using an unprecedented attack—not recorded in almost fifty years—to kill an unidentified Zoid that presumably belonged to the Backdraft. The enemy Whale King, also recorded by the dying Liger, had left the scene some time ago.

All this information was of little relevance to Leena Toros, who wept bitterly in Vaez's arms. "I couldn't help them! I should have been with them, but I left!" She sobbed.

Vaez held her tightly and stroked the back of her head. "It's not your fault. I know you ordered Cura to turn around and aid your team. He's not programmed to be so flexible. I am sorry." Leena cried in his arms for minutes. It was marvelous.

"I want to hurt them, Sen!" She said finally. "I want to rip the Backdraft apart! I'll make them pay for this! I'll make them pay for every life they've taken. I'll break them!"

Vaez smiled and nodded. "I would hope for nothing less. Tonight is a night of mourning, but soon we will celebrate our revenge on those cowards. Your family's death will not be in vain; your friend's sacrifice not wasted. I promise you, Leena, you and I will accomplish great things together."

He stayed with Leena just long enough for her to fall asleep. Laying her across her new bed, he pulled the cover over and let her dream of a time before madness gripped the world. Tonight, he would dream of the future they would build together.

Before he could savor that dream, he had business to attend to. First, a visit to Paris. Somehow, he'd been placed in charge of the investigation. Vaez hadn't anticipated a rival looking over his handiwork and he wanted to ensure his secrets were safe. He'd learned his lesson from the ill-fated medic: leave nothing to chance.

Just as he was about to knock on Paris' office door, it swung open and a young, shapely woman with chocolate-colored hair tied in a braid stepped out. She was dressed in a ZBC Lieutenant's uniform, though Vaez did not recognize her. She smiled at him; an alluring sight. A shame she was not what he needed for his future.

"Lt. Celica Lucraft." Paris said from within the doorway. "She's on her way to the G-3 excavation site. New expert in Ancient Zoidian."

He stepped through and saluted Paris, who returned the gesture. "What have you to report on the investigation?"

"Not much, considering the investigation just started." Paris was still upset that Vaez had pushed him to finish the Buster Eagle project using the Blox technology. Very soon, Paris, thought Vaez, you'll come around to my way of thinking.

"How soon until the autopsies are complete? We need to hold a public funeral for the victims."

Paris arched his eyebrows. "Has Ms. Toros requested a public funeral? As the sole surviving family member, it is her decision." Impudence.

"She will agree." Vaez said. "Her family died because of the Backdraft. A public funeral will help rally the people against our enemy. Please have all three bodies prepped as soon as the autopsies are complete."

"Two bodies."

"… Two?"

"Yes, two. We think they're Steve and Leon Toros, though they're so horribly burned I doubt we'll be able to confirm their identity. There was no sign of this Leo person, or the pilot of the Backdraft Zoid. It's possible they disintegrated in the Ragnarock attack." There was a look of suspicion in Paris' eyes. He wondered, but as always could prove nothing. Vaez left shortly thereafter and moved to his private chambers.

"Alteil." Vaez summoned his puppet.

A mockery of loyalty came through the speakers, "You called?" Alteil snapped into view on the screen. Behind him sat the unconscious forms of Steve and Leon Toros, miraculously resurrected. Both men were bound and gagged, ready for a prolonged stay with the Backdraft. "As you can see," Alteil gestured to his prisoners, "Fuma and her men brought the Toros men without incident."

"I am not concerned with that now. You planted bodies?"

Alteil nodded, "They match both men's height and weight, and no one will miss a few bums on the street corner."

"And what about the Command Wolf pilot?"

Alteil visibly faltered. "Well… he blew himself up along with his Zoid. There couldn't be a scrap of him left."

"And the Dark Spiner pilot?"

"Uhh… didn't she escape?"

Vaez folded his arms. "That is irrelevant. Whether she escaped or was vaporized, there needs to be some sort of evidence to confirm her death. The same goes for that Command Wolf pilot."

"I just assumed-"

Vaez held up the remote that could spell Alteil's end. "Never assume such things." He stroked the button with his thumb and Alteil paled.

"Y-yes."

"Yes…?"

"Yes, _sire_."

"I'll be watching you more closely from now on, Alteil. I won't let your foolishness upset my plans." He clicked off and exited his chamber.

You'd better be dead, 12515, he thought. Otherwise I'll be sure to make your life a living hell.

He had that power now. As he met with two officers, both secret members of his guard, he realized that he'd accomplished half his goal. He now had all the power on Zi. ZBC Chairman, Backdraft shadow ruler, Leena Toros' courtier, and soon he'd have the loyalty of the strongest pilot on Planet Zi. He'd prepared for this from the moment he realized that brutality and power weren't enough to rule. He couldn't have defeated his grandfather in such a way, nor could he have obtained this level of control. The people of Zi followed him willingly, too afraid or stupid to look elsewhere. Such an elegant, subtle domination was beyond any attempt by tyrants of the past. Gunter Prozen could only be watching from hell and seething with jealousy.

Now fingering a small vile of angry red liquid, Vaez would proceed to phase two: gaining the full control of all militaries on Zi. With such power, he could finally abandon this false name; this false lifestyle. He'd be regarded as an emperor, the rightful heir to all of Zi. Helic and Guylos would be crushed underfoot, the ZBC retired, and the Backdraft vanish into nothing. All that would be left would be the true empire, the supreme power of Zi, the era of Neo Zenevas.

Stopping outside a cell hidden deep within the belly of the ZBC Ultrasaurus, Vaez keyed in his personal code and regarded the youth who sat patiently on the other side of the opening door. "Hello, Vega. I've wanted to talk with you for some time."

To be continued….

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Author's Note: The answer is no, I can't wrap everything up in just one chapter. Wouldn't that be the worst end ever?

Anywho, this is but the first part in a larger arc. Keep your eyes open for "Relics" the next phase in the rise of Neo Zenevas.

If you'd like to see an image I drew of Leo and Fang, you can view it at are always appreciated. Thank you for reading Battle Dawn.


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